Web of Fates
by LadyDi
Summary: AU: Without thought, Miroku pulled her to him. She easily offbalanced and using her surprise to his advantage, wrapped his arms around her. Of course she resisted, but he held firm and wouldn't let her off.
1. 1: Beginning Feb

Quiet shifting and muted groans sounded throughout the room. Sheets rustled on the futon as hands spasmed, opening and closing with want to grab hold of something, but not daring to stop the delectable feelings rushing through his blood.

Audacious enough to toy with the man, a coy smile slowly appeared once dark brown eyes met questioning, middle-aged brown eyes. Her head looked up from his lap and hands took over massaging in place of her mouth.

"You like that, Kinshinsoukan-san?" She murmured.

There was obvious gasping and choking for words that said the man very much liked what her hands and lips had been doing for the past five minutes. The man's head twisted both ways a few times before gaining sense of self enough to look down at the young vixen again. Youthful brown eyes were looking up, still waiting an answer. Hair spread around her naked shoulders and his legs in thick strands; slightly pale, slender arms on either side of his hips for balance.

Swallowing at the sight, the man struggled to find his voice despite her continuing ministrations. "C - call me...tousan..." He breathed, hands twitching.

It took willpower to not make a face at that. Call him father? How revolting. She was certainly young enough to be this man's daughter, but she was not one to judge.

She was only here to please this man and get paid.

"Hai...tousan." She murmured, lowering her head. Lips and hands continued on as if no talk had taken place, no dirty secrets of this father having a thing for his daughter, provided he had one. Foreplay was soon finished and she shifted upward, soon flipped on her back as the man took control and entered her.

As always, her imagination took over to pretend she was with someone she loved to try and fake it as much as possible. It wasn't hard to find some enjoyment despite who she was with, as the nerves in her body worked as good as everyone else's. Men didn't like it - some of them didn't at least - when they couldn't please the woman they were having sex with and if she didn't put on a damn good show she would most likely offend the man and her wages would be either cut or not handed over.

All in a day's work was the annoying saying. At least these meetings never lasted long. Men never had the stamina - not one that she found yet - for this kind of stuff.

-

Footsteps quietly padded up the final steps to the fifth floor, covered in fuzzy uwabaki. Hands finished tying a mildly complicated knot to a thick yukata, giving a good tug to keep the cotton ties in place before drifting up to fix the sloppy towel wrapped around long hair. White uwabaki brought their occupant to the last room on the left before being removed on wood paneling and lined up to be slipped into upon leaving.(1)

"So?"

Dark brown looked across the mildly small room of four and a half tatami to the sole occupant primly sitting with her back to the balcony.

A sigh wore from her as she stepped onto the straw mats and crossed to the center of the room where the kotatsu was. She slowly lowered herself onto her zabuton, trying to be gentle with the aches shortly accompanying her meeting. As much as she tried to hide them from her hostess, the woman was perceptive, though didn't say anything yet.

Hands propped up a youthful face and stared at closed balcony doors. "He was rough." She muttered.

"I suspected as much the second I saw you stop in the doorway. Where?"

Brown eyes looked to the table, eyeing a simple, steaming teacup in front of the woman. "He bruised me around..."

Her companion's head bobbed in understanding. "You just came from a bath?"

The towel was proof enough and she unwrapped the cloth, working damp strands with her hands for a bit to hurry their dryness. "Yea...I thought soaking for a while would help, but I might be sore tomorrow. There could be some small bruising."

Lips thinned in slight upset through a brief, thoughtful hum. "Your next appointment will be in two days. Do you think you will be okay by then? We can't have the next man who sees you think you are being beaten anywhere by us or any other man."

A finger absently poked at the general area, not pressing too hard since pain was still evident. "I am a little tender, so we'll have to see what tomorrow brings. Evening has only just begun after all."

The woman nodded and deftly picked up the teacup. "Make sure to alert me in advance if you are still not well - I can have someone replace you."

Replaced? That meant not getting paid! It wasn't as if she had anything to spend the money on since the leftovers after expenses paid her bills and she had all the clothes she needed, but no way would anyone do much around here if they didn't 'work'. One did not loaf about and take without doing something in return. "B - but Kikyou-sama - (2)"

"Don't argue with me Kagome or I'll take you off your next meeting." Kikyou evenly cut in, eyes sliding closed to enjoy the taste and feel of hot tea on a cold night.

Kagome's shoulders slumped a little in defeat. NEVER should she argue with the woman in whose place she was living and practically freeloading in. "Understood. I promise I'll tell you hours beforehand. They won't know anyway if it comes down to it."

Kikyou gave an inaudible snort through her nose, cradling the glass. "Indeed. They only know your name, not your face. Ayame or Sango could take your name for an hour or two and the person would be none the wiser."

A defined brow rose. "Sango? The man is expecting someone with a little less...zest in her 'work'."

The corners of Kikyou's mouth twitched in amusement. "Indeed. Well, enough of this - go pour yourself a cup of tea and join me properly. And put that wet towel somewhere other than the mat. It'll get all wet."

With a nod, Kagome stood with a little less grace than her hostess owned and padded across the hallway into the kitchen for a glass. Since the water heater was already on low, she turned it on high to boil, so by the time glass and powder was found and ready, the water boiled. The towel was set on the kitchen counter to be put away later, a mental note not to forget it and get chastised for it.

Within minutes, Kagome joined Kikyou in the dining area again and set the tea down before easing herself into the stiff cushion. She tucked the ends of the yukata under her knees, legs tucked under her.(3) Silence pertained for a while, broken only by quiet slurping of green tea and gentle rattling of old balcony doors from the wind.

"I hope I never have the displeasure of having to pleasure a man like that again." Kagome suddenly piped up, the face forced away from the man's words finally coming to the surface. Her nose wrinkled a little to show her discontent, bangs hiding her eyes as she took a sip.

"What happens in those rooms should not be spread around, you know that Kagome. It's disrespectful." Kikyou quietly reminded.

Kagome gave a small nod, face smoothing. 'Tousan indeed. Some people...'

Kikyou suddenly looked over Kagome's head as a face popped into the doorway space. "There you are Kagome-chan(4). I wondered where you wandered off to."

Kagome smiled and twisted in her seat to look at her friend in the doorway. "Gomen Sango-chan, I didn't mean to leave without saying anything, but you were studying and I didn't want to disturb you."

Sango shrugged, slipping out of her uwabaki to keep the tatami from being destroyed and kneeled by her friend. "It's fine Kagome-chan. I didn't mean to be so distant so I will make up for it by spending some time with you. It's only homework after all. Our friendship is more important."

Kikyou mildly disregarded the pair to let them talk and paid more attention to her tea, keeping quiet and taking a sip.

Sango shifted to a more comfortable sitting position and leaned in a bit in curiosity. "So? Did everything go okay?"

Kagome knew her friend was merely concerned for her welfare, but she was a tad uncomfortable answering such a question. It was too embarrassing to give details of exactly what happened in that room, as every meeting was different, but it wasn't as if they never shared stories before. No one bothered to tell Kikyou-sama or Kaede-obasaan that though.

The teacup clacked on the kotatsu with more force than Kikyou ever used, giving the two an indication to not only quit the conversation, but to pay attention to her. "Sango, go pour yourself a cup and join us if you are finished with your homework and plan on spending time in here. You also have a cushion to sit on you know."

Sango looked away a little in irritation, but gave a stiff nod. "Yes Kikyou-sama." Brightening, she looked back to her friend. "Don't say a word until I get back Kagome-chan."

Kagome grinned and watched the girl copy her movements from earlier. "But I'm only a few meters across the way." She quipped.

Sango grinned and quickly returned, sitting next to Kagome. "But good stories should be told in direct company of one another." She playfully denied.

Kagome's head shook at her playfulness and put her glass down to give Sango her attention. An eye caught movement across the table from Kikyou and she gave the woman a subtle glance. A brow was raised on the otherwise statue-like woman, cautioning her not to pour out everything. It was fine to MAYBE say a few things, but blabbing on about one single encounter out of many was silly. Complaining about it wouldn't change the fact that they would ALL continue the same job, and totally divulging the act wasn't necessary.

"Ah, well...it's about the same as it always is." Kagome sidestepped. Her nose wrinkled a little at the memory she wished to banish and Sango saw it.

"Kagome-chan? Something wrong?"

Palms cupped to hold her face as Kagome looked to the white wall behind her friend. "I was asked to call him...t - tousan." She muttered, face threatening to burn up.

Sango was not as reserved as her friend and openly showed disgust. "That's sick." She groused, quickly going for her teacup as Kikyou-sama moved again to keep quiet on any other thoughts.

The pair was silenced in expectation for their superior to say something, mostly since Kikyou-sama didn't move much when enjoying a quiet moment. It was one way she meditated. "You shouldn't be so judgmental to paying customers. Without the lustful ways of men, we would all be out on the street and begging at the very worst. Their thinking is the very least of our troubles."

"Even if they are forceful." Kagome mumbled, not trying to be subtle since the room was quiet. The annoyance of possibly getting skipped on a meeting, despite what would transpire, would not fade until the day it happened and Kagome knew she would or wouldn't be able to take it. She was given a job to do and not being able to be responsible grated on her.

Sango nodded. "And quick. The day I find a man who can keep up with me is the day I eat my workout clothes."

Kagome quietly giggled, covering her mouth in a futile attempt to remain composed. "Sadly enough, I agree with you Sango-chan." She got out.

Kikyou went back to her tea, unable to control the two when they got in this mood. She was resigned to let them joke around like this, since everyone would have to go to bed soon. Let them have their fun. A small hum through her nose was the last thing out of her, not agreeing or disagreeing with Sango's statement.

-.-.-.-

The lock to a front door clicked open, allowing the person on the other side entrance. Just as the door was locked from inside, a clock nearby chimed one a.m. The area was mostly dark, save for a light spreading across the floor a few meters away. All was silent except for near indiscernible sharp rapping every few seconds.

Shoes were wordlessly slipped from and lined against tile genkan, winter coat put neatly away. A black briefcase was leaned against the opposite wall to the closet; one that would be picked up as soon as a little relaxation took place.

The hallway was short and in less than a dozen, long strides, the origin of the lone light was discovered, along with the person using it.

Empty plastic and Styrofoam bowls once holding types of ramen, one a resting place for a pair of chopsticks, littered at least half the waist-high desk. Stacked vertically within the mess were about a dozen books, all having to deal with the final object. A plain, black computer monitor with tower on the floor next to it stood in use, the crown of a head just visible over the top of a tall computer chair.

"Don't you ever sleep?"

The clacking of keys on a keyboard paused as the chair swiveled to reveal a cross-legged, somewhat hunched over form. A wry smile popped up as hazel eyes met yellow in the short distance. "Konbanha to you too. Isn't that calling the kettle black?" He turned away to stare at the computer clock in the bottom right screen. "It IS late, even for you. NOW what the hell are you obsessing over?"

"It's called work, one that I go to and leave when I deem it appropriate."(5)

He snorted, watching his roommate turn around and head into the kitchen. "Uh huh. Why don't you just take your futon with you and sleep in your office next time? Then you won't have to take an extra hour riding the subway home and climb five flights of stairs."

"Don't mock me." Came an even, somewhat frosty response. "I pay the bills you know."

"Keh. I pull my fair share."

"Then pull your share of the hot water and get off that chair to get a bath. You look horrendous."

A black brow rose, but hazel eyes looked to himself in check. He hadn't gotten a bath today for sure and the samue he wore all day and some of yesterday were noticeably wrinkled and in need of straightening. He barely remembered getting out of the chair about three hours ago to use the toilet and get a small glass of water, plus some more ramen. The rest of it was spent staring at the computer screen doing his job.

"I don't see anyone around who I need to impress and the only one who does set foot around here besides us doesn't give a rat's ass." Hazel eyed the man across the way, head stuck in the narrow fridge. "Hashutsufu-san put tonight's leftovers in the left side for you. She told me to tell you she'll need money for groceries in a few days."

A noncommittal grunt came from the other side of the apartment. Hands dove into the cool atmosphere and pulled out a few pieces of Tupperware. The small, plastic containers were set next to the stove as hands puttered around and grabbed a bowl to heat up the food. Yakisoba turned out to be the missed meal and yellow eyes showed a little disappointment at not being able to eat the food when it was fresh and initially hot.

Boredom quickly set in and hands grasped the desk to swing him around to get back to work. He still had some more codes to write before this webpage was up and functional, but that was saying too much. Every link had to be checked to make sure it pulled up correctly and had to be scanned to make sure everything was as it was written and set up.

At least it was nearly over. He'd been working on this thing almost a full day now, taking only a few hours out to nap in his chair. He was currently in the process of double-checking the basic codes on this last section when the idiot finally stumbled in.

A yelp sounded when the back of his chair was pulled on, nearly making him fall from it and send the furniture crashing to the floor. "What's the big idea?" He nearly shouted, trying to keep his voice down for the other tenants.

"Go freshen up. I can smell you quite clearly. It's disgusting."

He gave a look that said he was not amused and all but disregarded the person above him. "Maybe that's the leftovers. They're never as good as when Hashutsufu-san cooks."

Yellow eyes turned bored. "Inuyasha..."

Hazel eyes rolled as Inuyasha made to push his chair back. "Fine, fine, I'm going. Sheesh you're cranky tonight." He stopped as if an epiphany just hit. "Wait, I forgot - you're always this cranky."

A finger pointed down the short hallway for the furo. "Bath. Now."

Inuyasha waved the man away and saved the current screen before shutting the monitor off. A quick bath to please the nuisance, maybe a change of clothes, and then he'd be back to work. "It's not as bad as you're making it sound." He called, untying the top half as he wandered to the bedroom.

He mentally retracted the statement upon seeing himself in the small mirror next to the towel rack. His hair looked like it hadn't been combed at all today and though he used the mini-braid to tie it into a low ponytail, the loose strands looked windblown in a way. 'All that shifting in the chair to get comfortable and whatnot. Damn hair.'

Inuyasha noticed a few other things while lathering up a washcloth and running the bath in preparation to soak later.(6) His nails hadn't been groomed in a while and they were pretty long to the point of feminine, or claws. Taking so much time to work on this current project caused ignorance of general grooming it seemed. He snorted at that and made sure to take extra care to not scratch himself until they could get trimmed down. He found toenails almost the same length and an annoyed look soon turned any chance of a good mood at seeping in hot water sour.

Time stretched and the steaming water turned out to be a better idea than anticipated. Inuyasha almost dozed when a sudden rapping on the sliding door came. "You're not sleeping in the tub. It's been half an hour already and I intend on going to bed tonight."

"Yea whatever, I'm getting out now." He called.

'Leave it to Sesshoumaru to get on my case for EVERYTHING.'

After a quick drip dry, a towel went around his waist and another for his hair. He pushed the door out of his way to reveal his brother still standing there. "Can I help you?"

"I'm going to catch a quick bath myself actually. Out of the way."

With a grandeur sweep of his arm meant to annoy, Inuyasha bowed lower than necessary and almost lost the wrapped towel around his head. "By all means aniue, it's completely yours."

Sesshoumaru showed faint traces of irritation as a hand went to loosen the tie of his western-style suit. "Don't call me that." He replied, saying nothing more as he all but booted Inuyasha out.

The man stared at the closed door before a smirk tipped his lips. A hand clutched part of the towel around his hips to keep it from falling as he padded to the bedroom in search of fresh clothes. "He falls for that every time." He mumbled, mood picking up. Snatching the discarded samue just short of the doorway, it went into a clothesbasket for Hashutsufu-san to wash later. A sleeping juban was soon tied, allowing the youth to wander back to his computer for some more work.

The final lines of the last computer code were almost typed out when the bathroom door opened. Keys clacked a few times as hazel eyes never left the screen. "And you whine to me about taking too long." Inuyasha threw to the other side of the space.

Sesshoumaru ignored the bait, not wanting to bicker when all he wanted to do was sleep. Hands towel-dried shoulder-length, white hair for a bit before throwing it back in a wrap to pull his futon out. Hashutsufu-san put it away, which was nice and all, but it only took extra time to unfold it again and get the covers set up the way he liked it.(7) Right now he wasn't in the mood to be as organized as he normally was; he was too dog-tired.

Even after all that time, keys still sounded on the other side of the apartment. Sesshoumaru stood and made for the bedroom doorway, leaning against it. "You are going to get to sleep tonight." He ordered. "I'm not pulling your futon out for you, but I'll wait up long enough for you to get it situated."

A black brow rose in surprise. Was that a compromise? Hell was soon to freeze over.

But over the years, Inuyasha recognized the peace offering and saved his changes, shutting the monitor off again. He would just have to finish whenever he woke up again. The computer stayed on - it was only rebooted once every few days - and quietly hummed in the living area dubbed his workspace as he padded the few meters to their shared bedroom.

Sesshoumaru already had his hair mostly dried and the towel out of the room by the time he had everything set up. Hands put everything in a clumsy braid for tonight before he slid in between the thick mattress and comforter. The chill of fading winter was noticeable and he huddled a little until most of the pad warmed from his body heat.

Inuyasha looked across the space separating the two futon at his brother's back. Sesshoumaru was practically asleep already, but that was a given with the five hours he got yesterday and the four he would get now before having to get up again to do it all over.(8) Inuyasha knew work schedules of office workers and was glad not to have to participate in them. Not that it made the crazy hours of HIS job any saner, but the slack time he had was great and used to sleep in.

Finally feeling the weight of tiredness and using his brain so much to remember so many computer codes got the better of him and Inuyasha soon joined his older brother.

-

**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner, so if these are not 100 correct, please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page and a dictionary to learn from. This spot dedicated to new vocabulary only.**

**Translations:** Kinshinsoukan-Incest-san on the end makes it a name - Tousan-Father - Uwabaki-Indoor slippers - Yukata-Bathrobe/informal summer kimono

Tatami-Japanese straw floor coverings - Zabuton-Square cushion used when sitting on one's knees - Kotatsu-Table with heater - Genkan-Entranceway

Konbanha-Good evening **(another way to say this)** - Samue-Two piece kimono many artists and craftsmen in Japan wear

Hashutsufu-maid or housekeeper in a visiting arrangement-san on the end makes it a name - Yakisoba-Fried buckwheat noodles

Furo-Bath, commonly known for the room housing a tub to soak in and a place to cleanse the body - Aniue-Honorable older brother, rather formal and old saying

Juban-Undershirt, also called inner kimono - Futon-Japanese bed which rests directly on the floor without a frame and is put away every day

-

**Having done much research, this story will be highly Japanese orientated and probably confusing at points. Numbers at the end of sentences will describe the whole sentence, while numbers next to a word will describe only that. If any of these are wrong, please correct me.**

1:White uwabaki brought their occupant to the last room on the left before being removed on wood paneling and lined up to be slipped into upon leaving.: Slippers are not worn on tatami since it is only woven straw. This allows the mat to keep its original form longer. Also, when someone leaves, their slippers/shoes/etc are turned around for easy access - this is mostly done by the owner for guests at an entryway.

2:Kikyou-sama: In this story, Kagome is 26, Kikyou is 34. The reason Kagome calls Kikyou 'Kikyou-sama' (despite given names in the subs) is because Kagome lives under Kikyou's roof, is subordinate in training to get to Kikyou's position, and also recognizes the more mature character.

3:She tucked the ends of the yukata under her knees, legs tucked under her.: A properly worn kimono of any kind has no wrinkles in it. It's also comparable to never ironing your clothes - it's about presentation. When sitting on your legs, tuck the fabric behind the backs of your knees, and then the front over your kneecaps as you go into sitting stance. Not doing this and simply sitting down will scrunch the bottom part of fabric. Yukata is made of thin cotton and wrinkles easily.

4:Kagome-chan: In this story, Sango is 23, Kagome is 26. The reason Sango gets to call Kagome 'Kagome-chan' (despite given names in the subs) dictates friend status. -Chan translates into 'suffix for familiar person', which can also be used by someone older speaking to someone younger, or of lower status.

5:"It's called work, one that I go to and leave when I deem it appropriate.": In Japan, a worker of almost any business has business hours, but they go in and get the work done and leave when the work is done. In some cases, those who work in groups at offices will stay so the other doesn't have to work by themselves.

6:Inuyasha noticed a few other things while lathering up a washcloth and running the bath in preparation to soak later.: Japanese take baths, not showers. The bathroom is - first of all - a room with only a bath and place to wash. There is a separate room for the toilet. A person is expected to scrub body and hair clean and wash all soap off before soaking in a tub (body only!) because the water is not changed.

7:Hashutsufu-san put it away, which was nice and all, but it only took extra time to unfold it again and get the covers set up the way he liked it.: Futon are 3 inch thick pads to be used on the floor, but thin enough to fold up and stick in a closet in the daytime. A futon consists of two parts: a shiki buton and a kake buton. A shiki buton is what you sleep on and a kake buton is the comforter. There are sheets placed on either side of pad and blanket, so you are basically sandwiched in, but this prevents extra washing.

8:Sesshoumaru was practically asleep already, but that was a given with the five hours he got yesterday and the four he would get now before having to get up again to do it all over.: Japanese work a lot and are punctual if anything; being early is even better. Since most Japanese walk to their job, or walk to the subway, they get up around 5 or 6 or so every morning, have breakfast, get ready, and then take the necessary walk to work. Combined with late nights, many get few hours of sleep.


	2. 2

Sunlight just barely started peeking over the horizon when the alarm went off. Six o'clock glared in red numbers on the floor to two sole occupants, one who sluggishly reached forward and hit the snooze to stop the noise.

Sesshoumaru gradually exited the warm cocoon of his futon, the chill of morning coming through wide windows. His skin instantly shivered and he mentally cursed the exiting winter weather as he made to fully shut the alarm off. Sucking it up, he pushed thick covers out of the way to make it easier to stand with his juban.

Taking a second to stretch and do a few twists to get the blood going and his muscles woken up, quiet snoring caught his ears. Yellow eyes looked down to find his brother very much dead to the world, his winter blanket practically kicked off during the night. Wisps of raven curled around Inuyasha's pillow from the braid, not doing enough of a job to keep it where he wanted it. Hands clutched against himself to ward off some of the cold getting to exposed skin on his arms and ankles.

His younger brother looked innocent and it was hard to picture - even for a moment - the sarcastic, semi anti-social relative he had. The expressionless face made Inuyasha seem younger than his twenty-seven years...more like a young teenager really.

Yellow eyes rolled when the young nuisance shifted a little, pressing closer to himself for heat, and stepped over his futon. A hand swooped down to haphazardly drape the blanket back over his brother. The last thing he wanted was Inuyasha catching a cold and giving it to him. He didn't like missing work at all costs, but couldn't afford to get everyone else at work sick just because he wanted to work through it.

Sesshoumaru quietly padded for the bedroom door, leaving his futon where it was. Hashutsufu-san was the only one who did any real cleaning and straightening around here.(1) Although they paid her to come in daily to help them, as they lacked any female presence - not to mention parental, she'd be upset if he tried to take her job away from her in any way.

The elderly woman was older than him by at least a decade, but she was very adept at doing anything that required bending, twisting, and turning. She worked with them for so many months Sesshoumaru lost count. But it didn't matter anymore; they'd formed a nice little arrangement and it was so routine that he didn't know what would happen if something happened to the woman or she decided to quit.

They weren't taxing her that much from what he considered or knew of. She cooked them the meals necessary to live on and came in to clean when she deemed it necessary. He and Inuyasha weren't hurting for money and she was happy to help - not to mention have a job so close. Her children were mostly grown and her husband had passed away eight years ago. She lived with her parents down the hall, partially taking care of them when possible and doing this to earn something of a paycheck.(2)

Just after the door opened, hands went to tuck his juban a little tighter around himself as a sliver of light immediately invaded. He quietly padded the few steps to the edge of the kitchen, finding the object of his thoughts with her back to him. Sesshoumaru let her be and turned for the toilet room. He would get ready and speak with her when he was more awake and was not so indecent.

Not even fifteen minutes later, a use of the western-style toilet, a quick splash of water over his face, a run-through with his toothbrush, and stop to the bedroom to get dressed, Sesshoumaru exited the sleeping area a second time in another western-style suit. Fingers were in the process of adjusting his tie as he again stopped in sight of the kitchen. Yellow eyes were content to watch their housekeeper putter around as he finished fixing himself to his liking.

Hashutsufu-san turned with a pot for the stove and jumped in surprise, nearly dropping their breakfast. "Oh!" She gasped, taking a breath. "Jouryuu-san, you scared me. Ohayou gozaimasu."

"Ohayou gozaimasu." He quietly repeated, heading for his zabuton. "I didn't mean to scare you. I apologize."

Taking a quick second to click the gas stove on, Hashutsufu-san whipped to the water heater and turned it on. She pulled out Sesshoumaru's usual teacup and added some powder green tea. In no time at all, she had a steaming mug set before him with a smile, turning back to continue working. "It's alright Jouryuu-san; no harm done."

All was quiet for a while, the sounds of stirring and metal tapping against metal floating to Sesshoumaru's ears. He cradled the cup for a bit to take its warmth, wishing his zabuton wasn't next to the balcony shouji. If it wasn't for the view when the weather was warm enough to have the doors open, he'd be sitting in Inuyasha's spot, regardless of the fact that the refrigerator was centimeters away. The noise was a small give to have the heat it generated and more walls around to stunt surrounding airflow.

Hashutsufu-san soon turned her attention to the cupboards, pulling out bowls, plates, chopsticks, and their holders. She had the small table set as perfect as always, trying to move around her host with as much respect as possible, as not to bother him while busy with his tea.

Enticing smells floated his way from Hashutsufu-san making tracks around the kitchen and Sesshoumaru subtly inhaled. "What is it this morning Hashutsufu-san?"

The woman smiled and turned the stove on low to keep the soup heated, but not cooking. "Misoshiru; oyako donburi; a few omusubi; and some flavored eggs if the donburi is not to your liking or doesn't sound quite like what you'd want today."

It sounded like a small feast, especially not what he'd be able to eat so soon after getting up, but he would eat as much as possible. Wasting food was bad enough without refusing to eat Hashutsufu-san's cooking, simply because she made a lot, as she tended to do. The woman was a very good cook and he'd be disrespectful if he didn't try to fill his stomach.

The woman finished arranging the setting exactly as she liked it, aged brown eyes subtly eyeing her host for reaction before pulling arms away and leaning back on her heels.(3) "I think everything should be in order Jouryuu-san." Hashutsufu-san suddenly took in the empty zabuton by the wall and set place ready to be used. "Jouryuu-san...I see Inuyasha-san(4) hasn't woken up yet."

Sesshoumaru knew a hint when he heard one. He wasn't against eating without Inuyasha present, the pair did it quite often with their drastically random schedules, but breakfast was one of the few meals they did eat together sometimes. Hashutsufu-san normally made enough for the two of them, not just him, so even though Inuyasha got a little more sleep than he did, the boy was going to be woken up one way or another. But there was something tickling his brain from last night, so Sesshoumaru gave Inuyasha this one grace before Hashutsufu-san started in on him. "Give him another moment Hashutsufu-san and please sit with me. I hear there is something you wish to discuss."

Having brought up the topic, it wasn't hard to figure out what her host was trying to say. Hashutsufu-san managed a longer kneeling position and looked to the food, worry about it going cold. "Ah, yes Jouryuu-san. I told Inuyasha-san that I would need finances for shopping soon. I am glad that he alerted you for me while I was not around to speak with you myself."

Sesshoumaru absently nodded, the smells still drifting to his nose. The longer he sat and stared at Hashutsufu-san's cooking, the way it looked just so in its placing and in their individual dishes, the hungrier he was getting. His mind was quickly starting to turn from their conversation and getting Inuyasha out of bed to appease Hashutsufu-san and attending to his own needs. "Take time soon to check the kitchen for what you need and give me an estimate of what you'll be taking with."

Hashutsufu-san nodded, the irony of the situation not lost on her. It was funny to think of her asking for money for household chores from a man, since the home was a woman's domain and anything regarding it was the woman's responsibility and realm.(5) It was hard to request money when normally it would be the other way around, but she was the employee and as odd as it was, this apartment was her workspace.

"I will be sure to do that Jouryuu-san. If you don't mind, I will go wake Inuyasha-san for you while you eat. I wouldn't want you to be late for work."

Sesshoumaru gave a brief grunt in acquiesce, finally going for his chopsticks. "Itadakimasu."

Hashutsufu-san stood and straightened her skirt. She gave the kitchen a final once-over for now and headed to the back. The bedroom door was closed and a tender smile tipped her lips as she gingerly turned the handle and pulled the western-style door open. Sesshoumaru-san seemed like such a distant man, but the fact that he left the bedroom door closed for Inuyasha-san so no noise or light reached through spoke more of his brotherly concern than he probably knew.

The smile inched higher at seeing the almost angelic picture of the man a short distance away. Inuyasha was bunched in his futon, hand cupping his face against the pillow. He was so adorable that Hashutsufu-san stood a second to stare unabashed, not caring that he was in his juban and she in their bedroom. Normally she wouldn't dare step in here while either was asleep to give them their privacy, but she really did want Sesshoumaru-san to have his breakfast.

That in mind, not wanting her daily masterpiece to get cold, she walked over the empty futon with a mental note to put it away later. Hashutsufu-san kneeled far enough away to give Inuyasha his space and pressed a hand against a shoulder. "Jouryuu-san...Jouryuu-san, it's time to wake up. Please, breakfast is set up and waiting for you to eat."

There was a groan, which told Hashutsufu-san more shaking was required. Thankfully, Inuyasha-san was not one to lash out if startled awake. Hazel eyes fluttered opened and squeezed shut, before he rolled over and was still.

Hashutsufu-san's lips pressed together in displeasure, wondering if a light would help. The sun hadn't risen that much, nor had it reached the right angle to stream over the tatami yet. She figured another try was in order before taking drastic measures. "Jouryuu-san!" She whispered, shaking again. "Please wake up, your breakfast is getting cold."

Inuyasha's eyes slitted open, words coming to his ears. A hand scrubbed over his face, another groan coming. It turned to a yawn seconds later as he rolled to his back and sat up, absently staring at plain, white walls of his bedroom. A second more was needed to pick some of his brain up to the land of the living before hazel eyes turned and landed on the other occupant. He blinked, brow furrowing a little. "Hashutsufu-san?" He mumbled.

The woman smiled and nodded. "Yes Jouryuu-san. I'm sorry to be in here to wake you, but I agreed to take the task instead of Sesshoumaru-san so he could get ready for work. I have breakfast all laid out and ready for you to get to."

Another groan came as Inuyasha resisted the urge to flop back and bury the blanket over his head. Hashutsufu-san was a nice woman, but he didn't get shit for sleep and she woke him for THAT? He would've preferred having leftovers, or making something himself - though that would most likely end up being ramen, as usual - to catch more shuteye before having to get to that webpage...but Hashutsufu-san took the time every morning to get up hours before them to make breakfast, not to mention take time out of making sure Sesshoumaru had everything he needed, to wake him up so he should comply. It was only polite.

"I'm up; I'm up Hashutsufu-san." He mumbled, a smile tipping his face to show he was kidding. He met the woman's eyes for a moment before a hand took the end out of his braid and finger-combed it straight, allowing him to give his scalp a good scratching.

Hashutsufu-san stood, seeing as how the youth wouldn't go back to sleep because he wasn't fully awake to consider getting up. She nodded and headed for the door. "I'll leave you to get ready then Jouryuu-san. I'll be in the kitchen waiting for you."

Which was the nice way of saying 'get your ass out there'. He smirked a little and waited until the door clicked shut before exposing himself - much to the discomfort of having cold air blast his legs. He bit back a whine and sighed, standing for a good stretch. It seemed to help warm and wake him, so he grabbed a wataire hantento cover up with and headed for the toilet room.

Moments later, after a quick splash of water over his face and a toothbrush to wake his mouth up, Inuyasha let his nose lead him to the kitchen. He disregarded the hair since it normally looked disheveled, being as it was so thick.

Hashutsufu-san heard him coming, Inuyasha-san being less refined than his elder brother in that respect, and turned to greet him. "Ohayou gozaimasu Jouyruu-san."

"Ohayou." Inuyasha returned, pasting on a small grin. His head bowed a little in embarrassment at having been woken up by Hashutsufu-san as he padded past to his spot, eyes lighting on the mini-feast Sesshoumaru was currently working on. "Looks good." He gave an audible sniff, manners put aside for compliments. "Smells even better. You out due yourself every day, you know that?"

Hashutsufu-san managed a sheepish grin, face heating a faint degree. "Really Inuyasha-san, flattery will get you nowhere."

Inuyasha sent the elderly woman a grin while reaching for chopsticks. "No, but it doesn't hurt to help." He kidded, piling a bowl almost full of oyako donburi. A few flavored eggs and omusubi finished everything off and he gave a sudden hope that his eyes weren't bigger than his stomach before setting in. "Itadakimasu."

The pair ate in silence, most noise coming from slurping hot tea and the soup-like donburi. The rest Hashutsufu-san created by running water and getting empty pots washed to dry.

Sesshoumaru took an extra minute, given that he had it, to enjoy a final cup of tea. Yellow eyes stared at the table for the most part, giving consideration to muted rays coming through shouji paper. It would've been better if the balcony doorway was glass instead of opaque paper for the view, but they were surrounded by other buildings, all the way across the street - even five stories up - so the creators were good in thinking of some privacy. Their apartment building was somewhat massive and new, as showed in the mix of carpet and windows, of separated toilet room and swinging doors.

Hashutsufu-san stopped in mid-collection of empty ramen dishes on Inuyasha's desk and looked at the clock against the wall as it chimed. "Goodness, is it that time already? Sesshoumaru-san, you should be going now."

Yellow eyes looked over his teacup as Sesshoumaru turned to give Hashutsufu-san his attention. He spied the clock over her head and found he had maybe five minutes to get outside and start heading for the subway if he wanted to beat a little of the rush. Being pushed around in the car was an annoyance and if he got out of here earlier than the time most office workers normally left, he could bypass that.(6)

"You're quite right it seems." Sesshoumaru nodded and finished off the small remainder of his tea, setting the cup down. "Gochisousan." He let Hashutsufu-san cross the area before going to the genkan to slip into his shoes. Yellow eyes showed a little irritation at finding the briefcase still in the same spot as he left it, despite the note to move it from the doorway. He was agitated at not picking up after himself, but didn't have to take his shoes off to go get it now, so ignored it and grasped the handle. "Ittekimasu." He announced, buttoning up his winter coat and padding himself to make sure the apartment keys were in possession.

"Itterashai." Hashutsufu-san called out.

"Itterashai." Inuyasha idly mumbled around an egg.

The door clicked shut and silence returned, leaving Inuyasha with Hashutsufu-san. He watched the woman make another trip with more empty containers for the trash bin from his desk. She didn't say one word as she grabbed a damp cloth to clean any dried spills from its surface. That was more than he asked for, but he shoved part of an omusubi in his mouth and kept quiet. This WAS what they were paying her for so he wasn't going to order her around; Hashutsufu-san was free to clean what she deemed necessary and he was going to sit here and stay out of the way.

Regardless of that thought, Hashutsufu-san still came up and filled his teacup for him before taking some of Sesshoumaru's dishes to the sink. She started more water and set about getting those cleaned.

Not a word was spoken between the pair. Inuyasha was too busy eating good food and Hashutsufu-san was busy doing her job. Small talk could've been made by either if they offered and the other would've answered, but it wasn't normally made at the breakfast table. When Inuyasha finished eating, if not finishing breakfast, Hashutsufu-san would make an effort to speak with him if she wanted. Until then, she had a bedroom to straighten, a toilet room to scrub, and a furo room to wipe down.

Muted puttering around above and below of neighbors came to Inuyasha's ears in the quiet. He listened with half an ear, contentedly munching on some donburi in the process. Being a somewhat slow eater, at least for being woken up from so little sleep and so early in the morning, it seemed to take forever until his stomach was appeased. Inuyasha put chopsticks over his bowl in sign that he was done and sipped some of his tea. He stared at the blank, black screen of his monitor, cupping the porcelain and letting its heat warm him for a while. Though not really awake, the job started coming into his head, processes that needed to be done today and codes that had to be or not to be added. He resolved to get the three-day-long job finished, maybe straighten up some, and step out to meet with the owners of the business webpage.

Inuyasha never went outside near as much as Sesshoumaru did for his job, but did when a meeting with whatever employer he was with at the time called for it. It was imperative that his bosses liked the final project, or he was doomed to start over from the beginning. That or lose the job and not get paid. He made that mistake only once in the beginning of not meeting with an employer in thought of what he finished was fine and ended up creating a big issue for a month or two. Yes, a meeting - despite the displeasure of having to go out in the cold - was definitely in order.

Inuyasha's arms carefully stretched against the confines of his spot, a yawn coming from him. What he wouldn't give for a few more hours of sleep, but the sun peeked more while he ate and now it would most likely be shining into his bedroom soon, making sleep impossible. Being a somewhat light sleeper sucked in situations like this.

Not to mention Hashutsufu-san would have his futon put away by now.

The woman suddenly entered from the hallway and he stopped mid-yawn. "You're done already Jouryuu-san? I apologize for not being out here." Before he could reassure he was fine where he was at - hell, at least could get up to refill his cup if he wanted more tea - Hashutsufu-san grabbed the pot and was already refilling his glass. She gave a congenial look before standing.

He nodded in thanks and pulled his hands out of the way so she could clear his spot easier. He didn't take time like Sesshoumaru to enjoy his last glass, instead drank it as fast as possible without burning tongue and throat, and left it on the table for Hashutsufu-san to clean. "Gochisousan." He stood and straightened his outfit, pausing in the hall to find where Hashutsufu-san was so he knew whether or not to change.

Thankfully she was in the furo puttering around so he shut the bedroom door and went about picking out somewhat warm clothes for later. Provided he could get done on time - and most of his mind told him he COULD be done today - he didn't want to change and get the first pair dirty because he didn't think ahead.

Smoothing a dark blue sweater out and pulling his mane from the confines, he quickly zipped and buttoned blue jeans before exiting and heading straight for his workspace. Feeling renewed and definitely more awake, Inuyasha plopped in his western-style office chair, cracked his fingers, and clicked the monitor on.

Hashutsufu-san left him to his job as she used that to finish working without stopping. She went from furo to put away the cleaning supplied in the storage closet and made sure the bedroom wasn't mussed while Inuyasha was in there. She took stock of the clothesbasket and made note to get them washed before dinner tonight. For now, everything was done; unless Inuyasha-san wanted lunch made for later and required her assistance again.(7) All that was left was a grocery list and she was done.

Inuyasha suddenly stopped when a presence made itself known behind his chair. He spun around and met aged brown eyes in curiosity. Hashutsufu-san smiled. "I seem to be done cleaning for today Jouryuu-san. Is there anything else I can get or do for you while I'm still here?"

Inuyasha thought, but all he needed was to get back to work. "I'm good Hashutsufu-san. Thanks for your hard work."

The woman waved him off and headed for the kitchen. "I just have one more thing to do and I'll get out of your way. I promise I won't be long, nor will I be too loud and make you lose concentration by bothering you."

He was already turned back to the screen and picking up where he left off. "You're not a bother to me Hashutsufu-san." He absently mumbled, fingers pecking here and there.

A tender smile tipped her mouth. Inuyasha-san didn't know how much that meant to hear, despite how much he did or did not mean it. Hashutsufu-san left him to his work without a reply, since none was needed, and soon had everything she needed for tomorrow's big task. One final look of the kitchen and eating area to make sure everything was cleaned to her liking before the woman stuffed the list in her pocket. A note was written to Sesshoumaru-san and stuck on the fridge for him to find with what she needed.

"Jouryuu-san, I'm just interrupting to tell you I'm leaving."

"Hm?" Hazel eyes slowly trekked over the apartment to the kitchen. Hashutsufu-san was hovering at the edge, waiting for him. He nodded and twisted in the chair, getting up and heading for her. "Aa. Good work as always - good food as always."

She smiled and slipped into her shoes. "You flatter me Jouryuu-san. I will see you later for lunch, if you want?"

His head shook in negation. "I might be making a trip out today, so I won't be seeing you until dinner."

Hashutsufu-san nodded, a little surprised at this news. "Until then. Ittekimasu."

"Itterashai." Inuyasha answered, locking the door behind her.

-

Eleven thirty just turned over as he hit the buttons needed to save his work. Inuyasha stared at the screen, a little disbelieving that he got done so fast. Everything was perfected the way he liked it, the way it needed to be written, and looked okay. Now that all was put down just so, he logged onto the internet to upload and make sure all that hard work pulled up and looked as it was supposed to.

As the connection dialed, he got up for a stretch, a quick run to the toilet room, and some tea. He saw new mail awaiting his return, but ignored it with mental note to check it later. The only thing that was important was the light at the end of the tunnel to this project.

It was a breeze to click through links compared to the hard part. There were only two things needed to change that he didn't like, but that was getting off easy compared to the problems he could've had. Inuyasha made a quick stop to get the two pages corrected, reloaded, and then double-checked them. Seeing everything was as he wanted it, and as his employers' initial - and only - thoughts turned out, he slouched in the chair and took a moment to let himself relax.

Shaking himself to motion a minute later, Inuyasha swiveled in his chair and practically hopped from it, nervous excitement lacing his veins. This always happened whenever he got done with creating a webpage for someone new and was preparing to go show it off. Taking a minute to put his glass in the sink and another quick trip to the toilet, Inuyasha grabbed his winter coat. He wished not to have to go out in this, but whining wouldn't get it done any faster and it was only a matter of when he had to leave. The worst part would be the walk to the subway station and after that a mere walk to the office building he was contracted to.

Double-saving the pages on his software, Inuyasha logged off the internet and went for the phone. It wouldn't hurt to give a call to the agency to inform them he was coming so they could call the actual employers of the webpage he was doing. Hanging up soon after, one hand padding his pockets for apartment keys, Inuyasha slipped into a pair of sneakers and locked the door behind him.

He chided himself as he headed down the corridor. This was why he got that nervous energy - he always cut out the middleman of this final process before proclaiming himself fully done and tried to skip past certain steps that were perpetually taken. This was always a problem when being a contractor to an agency that found you work and then hired you to certain companies for your skills. You had to go through them before going to the main people and they took commission from his check for their troubles.

It was nice in a way to have to talk to his immediate employers before going to whoever he was hired to at the moment. It may've been an employment agency, but there were people there who had some of his skills and would be good to spot something he might not've seen - but being egotistical, the odds of that happening were slim to none. He smirked and pulled the collar higher on his wool coat as he pushed glass doors open and a blast of cold air hit him in the face and maneuvered right inside his coat.

'Holy shit that's cold! Why didn't I bring my scarf?'

A hat would've been nice, but being too stubborn and macho to proclaim himself THAT much of a pansy, Inuyasha fought a losing battle against the elements while telling himself it wasn't that bad outside.

The station seemed farther away, mostly because he was walking into the wind and whatever leftover snow was on the ground was half slush and he couldn't avoid it. It was pissing him off and his good mood diminished a smidgen by the time he got to the platform.

It wasn't the best time in the world to leave the apartment, since a lot of the workers who managed to go out for lunch were either heading back or heading out. Not one for crowds and especially not subway crowds, Inuyasha grit his teeth as the masses streamed past sliding doors to the car. He refused to let go of his hold on the dangling hooks meant to help balance those left standing who couldn't find seats as some pushed him a few inches back.

The ride didn't take long once everyone was pushed in and the doors shut. The best part about Tokyo with its monorail systems was you could get almost anywhere in a moderate amount of time...given that you weren't going around the time office workers were heading for work. Literally hoards of business suits and coats crowded the station and it took a lot of stops to transport the masses.

Steeling himself for the way out, Inuyasha moved with the crowd all the way past the entrance doors and the wind which greeted him again. It wasn't so bad being stuck around so many, but he was somewhat taller than a lot of these people, so it was a only small victory that at least kept his torso warm.

He passed the blocks by keeping his head down most of the time and letting bangs take the brunt of cold to keep his face warm. It helped to have thick, long hair at a time like this to keep his ears and scalp heated since it was all he had. There were only two walk lights to wait for, but Inuyasha wasn't known for his patience. It took a lot of foot tapping to keep from saying anything about the fact that the light just didn't want to change fast enough.

If he didn't have the burning need to unload this project and get the damn thing off his conscience, Inuyasha wouldn't have bothered coming outside today. He got paid for his work and if he just said he wasn't able to leave the apartment due to the weather, but was already done, nobody would've blamed him. But having a somewhat low boredom threshold, held off by his interest for codes and design techniques, Inuyasha got done quickly mostly because he got annoyed with having to do the same thing for long periods of time. Thinking up design aspects to create for those who didn't know what they wanted took the longest, but that was the best part. Thankfully, webpages didn't take more than a few days to do, the big and detailed graphics of large company sites two weeks at most.

Course the fact that he got done so fast could be attributed to when he started something, Inuyasha was loathed to stop. Getting going on something and finding the 'zone' which allowed him to think and work to his highest potential mostly attributed to the fact that he slept weird hours and didn't get much exercise or food. There was little else to do to keep his attention from his job, which was sad because that said he had no life really. That was his problem and his decision, but to each their own. Time was relative and hard work couldn't be defined by punching a clock.

Pushing twin glass doors open, Inuyasha gave a small bow to the secretary that stood as he entered.(8) Having worked at the same job since he started a few years back and seeing the same woman's face since then, pleasantries and name exchanges weren't necessarily needed. She bowed as he stopped before her in hello and let him pass by without much else. Inuyasha knew the woman would've walked him down to the office cubicle he needed if the phone hadn't rung as he started down the hall.

Talk grew louder as Inuyasha stopped at the waist-high wall unit, so he paused at the entrance to wait it out and be noticed. He took the time to unbutton his jacket and hang it on the nearby coat rack provided for whoever needed it.

"Ah, Jouryuu-san, konnichiha."

Inuyasha turned and immediately bowed in recognition of the bow given to him. He stepped into the cubicle and took a chair on unannounced invite, swiveling it to the handful of men around him. "Kanji-san, konnichiha. Sorry to interrupt whatever it was you were talking about just then."

"Oh no, no problem. Sorry to leave you standing there when I saw you approach."(9)

Inuyasha let the apology go without reply as he eyed one going to their computer. "I just thought I'd go over the page with you and see what you think of it, maybe hear anything you think I could be doing differently before you make the call and send me down."

Kanji-san nodded and everyone turned to the computer already logged up by the tech and gave each other space to get as close as possible. Kanji-san took the seat and mouse, taking charge as head supervisor of their group, pulling up the site Inuyasha dictated and started with the main page.

Inuyasha slouched a little in his chair, nothing left to do but wait with mentally crossed fingers that everyone was happy. He wasn't feeling up to going all the way back home and returning tomorrow to do this whole process again in such weather. There was some rain in the forecast and if the temperatures got down as bad as it did last night, things were going to turn to ice.

Normally, he left all the data on his hard drive until everyone verbally announced their satisfaction and it was communicated to both businesses. After that, he mailed a floppy disk down to the company to get his paycheck. Times like this would've been good to have a copy already handy, but that was presumptuous. The agency always a copy of his work in emergency in case his computer ever crashed - knock on wood that it never happened, for it hadn't yet - and he had a complicated, separate hard drive file system set up for that.

Inuyasha sat in silence as the others peered at absolutely everything. They remarked on the interesting twist of being able to click to a different front page link to get the kana to read either vertically OR horizontally. He mentally gloated at that, glad to take extra time to type out the introduction given to him by the company and thinking that far ahead. Only on the main page though...everything read horizontally after that. As much as Inuyasha liked surprising his superiors with the interesting quirks he was mildly known for, they wouldn't pay him that much for going the full length of making double every page with a lot of kana to read. Not to mention no one really wrote vertically anymore. With the onslaught of so many western ideas, horizontal turned to be the norm anymore, even if kanji and kana hadn't been cast aside.

Though hazel eyes never left the computer screen as the mouse clicked on a random link here or there, fingers pointing to an object on the monitor, or the subtle movements of those next to him, his mind drifted somewhat as ears picked up surrounding noises in the office. Phones rang somewhere on the mildly large room, murmuring voices trying to be quiet and conscious of others around them, clacking of keys on other computers owned by the agency. It wasn't too bad of an area to work in, but Inuyasha wasn't able to think in a place like this, even as quiet as it was. He needed the total quiet of his workspace at home to fully think the way he wanted and think out loud - as he had a tendency to do while working hard - when trying to figure out something intricate.

He was grateful enough to be able to do his work at home, given the trust and respect in knowing he'd do his job and do it well. This was established by month nine with a dozen small projects, plus eight large projects, under his belt by then. Everybody around him were his senpai, Kanji-san having the most tenure of this group, but they all saw him on a respectable level in recognizing his thoughtfulness put into design, also knowledge of codes and how to work them.

Inuyasha jumped and sat taller in his chair when Kanji-san swung to face him, page forgotten as the man leaned on knees to regard him. Hazel eyes turned serious, face smoothing and waiting to hear any bad news as he steeled himself for it. It was hard to take comments in good criticism of what he should do differently considering he put so much time and effort to making it look the way it did. It was like a personal insult to HIM whenever that happened, but he was unable to let them slide whenever the occurrence came about.

"Jouryuu-san..."

He silently gulped. "Ah, yes? How does it look to you Kanji-san? Any problems?"

Kanji-san's face turned from expressionless to congenial at those words. "Looks good to me. Again, you amaze and amuse me with your effort and tactics. The page pulls up and all the necessary words are as they should be. If you will give me about five minutes, I'll go make that call."

Inuyasha nodded, subtly breathing a sigh of relief. The others turned to him and talked about his page as Kanji-san made for a phone and dialed up the company's number. Inuyasha tracked Kanji-san more than the words of his fellow workers, though interacted with them as need be to keep them from thinking he wasn't interested in conversation or was merely being rude. It didn't take long though, to get more engrossed with them than wondering if he could get to the company today and trying to listen in on Kanji-san's conversation.

After a bit, Kanji-san turned back and joined the group. "A manager will give you some time in a few hours." Aged brown eyes spied a clock on the computer. "We were going to be taking lunch in a few minutes after we got done with you Jouyruu-san...would you care to join us before you go to your other meeting?"

Inuyasha wasn't really in the mood to go out to eat just yet, since he was mildly full from breakfast still - regardless of the fact that he ate almost five hours ago - but there was nothing else he could do to fill his time with, other than go home or go look around the general vicinity of his next stop. Might as well kill some time and talk with his co-workers for a while to see how they were doing and keep warm in the process. "I think I will join you all Kanji-san. Where were you planning on heading to?"

Kanji-san stood and the masses joined him, moving to put their chairs back in their respective spots. "Just to a noodle spot a few blocks away. They shouldn't be too busy right now."

More cold to bear. Inuyasha mentally grumbled as he made for his coat, buttoning it up and adjusting the collar as he waited for everyone else to follow suit. He watched his superiors - men all older than himself - get themselves bundled up and let them pass him in respect before taking the rear and following them to the front door, listening as they chatted and wondered about what sounded good to eat.

-.-.-.-

"Here are the files you needed Jouryuu-san."

Yellow eyes barely glanced up from the page in his hands, not needing to pay too much attention to the voice, as he knew who it was. "Please put it on my desk Enzen." The papers fluttered down atop a small stack Sesshoumaru had going on that needed to be gone through before leaving tonight. The presence didn't go away after a few seconds Sesshoumaru expected it to and yellow eyes looked up in minute irritation at being taken away from the current paragraph, but also curiosity to find out why part of his research team was still standing there. "Was there something else you needed Enzen?"

"Ah...the meeting with Jalco is almost ready to begin. Kyouda-san is in getting them drinks and snacks since he found you hadn't left your office yet."

Sesshoumaru immediately stood and made for a separate bunch of papers off to one side of his western-style desk. He mentally berated himself for forgetting about the client meeting and getting so caught up in his reading. But, that's what he had a secretary for. "Why didn't Kyouda-san come in and inform me ahead of schedule?"

"I think because he was busy on the phone getting some calls made that we requested be done while we looked through files for you."

Sesshoumaru gave a quiet grunt and ignored the playful tone as the pair left his office. Sesshoumaru shut the door behind him before they crossed to a room a few meters down. "Okay everyone, let's get going." Two sets of scuffling sounded as chairs were pulled back and pushed into place. Papers shuffled together and were set aside, some to be taken with and snatched up. The group of four headed for the lower level stairs, no word made about Sesshoumaru's tardiness. Shock was apparent by some, hidden by others except in the mind. Rarely was Sesshoumaru ever late for an appointment with a client - he normally tried to be at least five to ten minutes early at all costs to make a good impression - and no comment was made out of speechlessness.

Sesshoumaru entered the door first, the others following according to rank. A handful of elderly men stood and bowed when they entered, one that was returned all around. Sesshoumaru automatically started reaching for his inside coat pocket. "Gentleman, I am deeply sorry for having kept you waiting. Please forgive me for being rude and not being on time."

A man stepped forward, hand also in his coat pocket. Everyone in the room seemed to be doing the same thing with the same thought of reaching into a pocket of some kind. "You are forgiven sir. Please let me introduce myself, I am Jalco's head, Yasuko Yamakawa-shachou." Two hands extended; a business card in their grasp.(10)

Sesshoumaru took it with both hands, giving a bow to the bow initially given. He gave a quick look to the company name, the title, and then Yasuko's name before carefully putting it in his wallet and putting his own card in his hands the same way. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Akamatsu International Law Office's bengodan, Jouryuu Sesshoumaru." The same process was repeated with bowing and exchanging cards, Sesshoumaru's tucked away in the president's pocket soon after.

Sesshoumaru stepped aside, allowing the next in line to go. It might've been a good idea to let Jalco go first with introductions to be polite, but none stepped forward after a second, the others thinking the same he was, so he took initiative. Another business card was held between two hands, a bow already in progress. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Akamatsu International Law Office's shushou chousadan, Enzen Miroku." Miroku stepped aside seconds after receiving a card to pocket.

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Akamatsu International Law Office's jishou chousadan, Kyoushuu Kouga." Kouga exchanged the proper greeting and took the man's card, pretending to read it while he waited for the final of their party to finish introducing himself. The other side still needed to exchange cards with everyone before they could get down to business and he was impatient to do some actual conversing and use all the knowledge he and the other two immersed themselves in to finding.

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Akamatsu International Law Office's sanmi chousadan, Hitonatsukoi Houjou."

Minutes later, everyone had a business card from everyone else and sat in a western-style living room setting, files on a spotless, glass coffee table surrounded by a tray of half-empty glasses and plates. Sesshoumaru patiently listened to the president and more details of the lawsuit than what he read in the initial files gathered by his research team sitting around him.

He listened to the subtle undertones of unfairness and frustration toward an overseas business who bought electrical parts Jalco manufactured. Distribution problems in shipping created impatience from the buyer who gave a measly few weeks for Jalco to get it figured out - assuming it was Jalco's problem - before a lawyer was hired in defense of contract breech. The whole thing was a big misunderstanding with a loose end that needed to be tied up somewhere by either Jalco's production floor or the buyer's end. The buyer was worried about not getting what they paid for - a viable worry - as was stated in any basic contract of monetary-product exchange, but Sesshoumaru figured they jumped the gun on this.

The time needed for contacting everyone responsible and getting the right people in to look at the problem on both sides took up almost a week right there due to time zones and business hours. This was one of the problems of countries that didn't have Japan's system of doing business, but other cultures had different ways of doing things. Sesshoumaru knew this because this was his job - defending his fellow natives to the intolerance of other countries that had little patience. Blaming and pointing fingers wasn't going to solve anything other than fostering bad feelings and losing business, but he didn't expect much from a group of people who were used to instant gratification on a general basis.

An hour into the meeting, the door gradually opened and everyone paused to see who it was. Sesshoumaru's lips twitched down the barest degrees of being interrupted when he was still going over details of what he figured was going on; what his team dug up on the company and the contact they had over the past half month; and what he as the hired bengodan would do to help Jalco keep not only their contract, but also their reputation. But a quick, calculative glance of the president and subordinates told Sesshoumaru a break was in order, so his secretary was saved.

A refill of drinks, plus some for the office staff, and more edibles were deposited on the tray, empty glasses and dishes taken from before the meeting. Sessshoumaru nodded to the elderly man upon eye contact that they had everything necessary and that would be all for now. Sesshoumaru received a receiving nod from his secretary before the man exited.

Small talk ensued between the group, mostly questions about Sesshoumaru and his staff of how long they'd been working for A.I.L.O. and subtle questions of home life.(11) The more talkative filled in some gaps, the less talkative giving the appropriate answers for these kinds of things. Answers that filled most of the question, but didn't give away too much of a personal life they liked to keep mostly to themselves.

Business resumed half an hour or so later, but another mere hour after that, Houjou's stomach growled quite audibly and caused the poor man an embarrassed flush. Thankfully Jalco's president merely smiled and mentioned he was getting a little hungry himself, letting Houjou off the hook. The groups talked about finding somewhere to eat and maybe continue the conversation, since it was already going on five p.m. Sesshoumaru and his team let Jalco pick the place they wanted to go as he get everything put together to take with.(12)

Although he wished things could've continued throughout, there was some progress and a lot was discussed in two hours so Sesshoumaru was happy with that at least. There was still some final contact with the buyer's lawyer before an agreement of a court date or out of court settlement could be figured on. That would be a few more days yet and hopefully never happen so long as Miroku, Kouga, and Houjou turned up those missing parts. If all went well, the only call Sesshoumaru would need to make to the lawyer would concern the location of certain parts and what to do about them.

-.-.-.-

"What do you think of this?"

A pair of brown eyes read the katakana 'Hi-chew' dangled in front of her face and a sardonic grin slowly formed. "Why am I not surprised? Maybe once I see how much we'll have accrued, but until then...put it back Sango-chan."

Sango's lips twitched up, though somewhat disappointed as she went to put the candy back. Boredom set in a few minutes ago; the shelves and aisles of plastic, quick-and-easy containers of different ramen concoctions, their bright and colorful designs loitering practically everywhere, becoming one big blur as the others wandered around. Each had a hand basket slung over an arm to pick up some more needed items to pass the hotel over for the next few days.(13)

Sango wasn't as good a shopper as her friends were, since she definitely wasn't as good a cook as Kagome-chan and Ayame-san were. She had a basic knowledge of quite a number of simple dishes - she wasn't a TOTAL wash as a woman in that expertise - but things taking up to an hour or more were beyond her reach. Making a lot of foods from scratch, especially ones that didn't require a cookbook and used more eye judgment, she was embarrassed to try.

Wandering back to her friend's side, Sango found Kagome-chan not where she last saw and heaved a sigh, shoulder slumping. It was often that Kagome-chan got an idea in her head of something just occurring to her of what they lacked in the cupboards and would immediately head off for it before she forgot entirely.

Long brown hair in a high ponytail swung to and fro, nearly smacking her in the face a few times, as Sango crossed perpendicular through the medium-sized store in search of a familiar raven mop of hair. It almost seemed like Kagome-chan left the store as Sango crossed half of it without success - which wouldn't happen without her friend telling at least one of them where she would be, until shoulder blade-length blurred past an aisle. Sango made a beeline for the sight, not wanting to lose her friend and play hide and seek again - though it did kill a few minutes - and spotted the woman in front of a few wood fruit stands pondering the choices.

Kagome turned just before her friend could touch her shoulder, having heard the quiet tapping of sneakers. "Do you remember what we're out of?" She queried, unable to mentally remember exactly what was in the cupboards.

Sango stopped and blinked, peering around her friend as if staring at the merchandise might revive her memory. "Isn't everything out of season now? Even if we were out, are you sure you want to buy any of this?"

Kagome smiled and gave a side look to the old fruit. "Oh it's not so bad. I'm pretty sure I could make SOMETHING out of any of this." A finger rose as if to make a point. "One just needs to be creative Sango-chan."

"Hai hai." Sango gave everything a second look, knowing her good friend would be able to whip up almost anything with her culinary skills. One of these days, Sango was going to take time out from studying and ask Kagome-chan for some lessons. Problem was, she didn't have a few free months on her hands. "Then why don't you just pick up a few things of everything?" It was a bad idea to suggest, since they were only given ten thousand Yen to spend.(14) The thoughtful look on Kagome-chan's face told Sango she was already pondering what she could change the dozen or so different types into for dinner, breakfast, or snacks.

Sango's basket was almost filled with flimsy plastic bags of fruits, each carefully arranged to keep from squishing the other, as the pair left the produce section with an unannounced stopping point. They repeated Sango's earlier game of searching, a pair of heads facing the opposite direction to catch both sides simultaneously, as they headed up the aisles to the other side. The remaining two of the group were found, thankfully together, in the non-perishable section, quietly cooing over how adorable the store's school supplies were.

"Look at this Rin-chan, isn't that chibi cat the most kawaii thing you've ever seen?"

"I don't know Ayame-san, look at this chicken."

"Ah! Kawaii!"

A hand flapped to get the pair's attention. "Oi you two, didn't you get any shopping done?"

Two pairs of brown eyes swung to the right. "Ah, Kagome-san." Rin held out her basket almost proudly, showing off some good choices. "See? I got some of the things I saw we were out of. I hope I didn't get double of anything you picked out."

Ayame displayed hers as well to show she wasn't dallying either. "We filled our baskets Kagome-chan and were only taking a small break."

Kagome turned to the row of notebooks, folders, pencils, and holders. A discrete, almost nostalgic smile made an appearance. A hand reached out and found an adorable 'Hello, Kitty' folder. "They still make these? I used one in lower-secondary school."(15)

Sango blinked at this sudden information about her best friend. Brown eyes put Kagome-chan on the spotlight as Sango tried to read the look on her friend's face. "Kagome-chan -"

"Were you going to pick any up Ayame-chan? You might need some more notebooks for notes after all." Kagome broke in, purposely cutting Sango off with a mental chide to delving in her old life. Unruly bangs hid her eyes until she managed to stuff everything back into her mind where it couldn't be seen as she put the notebook back.

Ayame turned to the rows, not noticing her friend's changes in disposition. "I don't know. I didn't bring any of my own money in case this came up."

"Well if you do need one, go ahead and get one and just let Kaede-obaasan know. She'll just take it out of your next earnings."

The four soon headed for the checkout area, depositing their baskets for the cashier and soon picking up bags to be hauled home. Everyone bundled up the scarves and mittens stuffed in coat pockets to keep warm and exited past sliding glass doors. Sango gasped at the sudden blast of wind greeting her face and steeled herself with a deep breath to ward off instant shivering for the walk back to the hotel.

-

**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner, so if these are not 100 correct, please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page and a dictionary to learn from. This spot dedicated to new vocabulary only.**

**Translations:** Jouryuu-Upper class-san on the end makes it a name - Ohayou gozaimasu-Good morning **(polite way of saying)** - Shouji-Paper sliding door with wood frame

Misoshiru-Soup made with seaweed, tofu, miso paste, broth - Oyako donburi-Chicken and egg on rice - Omusubi-Rice ball - Itadakimasu-Expression of gratitude before meals

Wataire hanten-Bed jacket worn in the winter and filled with cotton lining - Gochisousan-Opposite of Itadakimasu, said after eating - Ittekimasu-I'm off/See you later

Itterashai-Take care/have a nice day - Aa-Show of understanding, somewhat like hai, used by men - Konnichiha-Hello/good day/good afternoon** (another way to say this)**

Kanji-Manager/supervisor-san on the end makes it a name - Kana-Japanese syllables - Senpai-Senior (at work or school)/superior/elder

Enzen-Charming-san on the end makes it a name - Kyouda-Cowardice-san on the end makes it a name - Yasuko Yamakawa-Actual name of Jalco (copyright, blaa blaa blaa) president

Shachou-Company president/manager/director - Bengodan-Defense lawyer (A.I.L.O's copyright, blaa blaa blaa) - Shushou-Commander-in-chief

Chousadan-Inquiry commission/research group **(put together, Miroku is saying he's in charge of the research team)** - Jishou-Second in command

Kyoushuu-Charming and coy-san on the end makes it a name - Sanmi-The third rank **(this basically puts Houjou on the bottom of the totem pole)**

Hitonatsukoi-Friendly/affable/amiable/sociable-san on the end makes it a name - Katakana-More angled, straight lines of kana, used mostly for foreign words - Hai-Yes/okay/etc

Chibi-General reference to something small - Kawaii-Pretty/cute/lovely/charming/dear/darling - Oi-Hey - Obaasan-Grandmother

-

**Having done much research, this story will be highly Japanese orientated and probably confusing at points. Numbers at the end of sentences will describe the whole sentence, while numbers next to a word will describe only that. If any of these are wrong, please correct me.**

1:Hashutsufu-san was the only one who did any real cleaning and straightening around here.: In Japan, women still tend to the household chores while men work. Despite the fact that the woman is paid, she is seen as a mother of the two in this aspect. The wife/mother of the family does the cleaning, children normally do not help.

2:She lived with her parents down the hall, partially taking care of them when possible and doing this to earn something of a paycheck.: In connect with above statement, women don't really have time to work, but since Hashutsufu-san is taking care of her elderly parents, she has no real choice.

3:The woman finished arranging the setting exactly as she liked it, aged brown eyes subtly eyeing her host for reaction before pulling arms away and leaning back on her heels.: Presentation in Japanese cooking is as important as the taste itself. For a woman who makes a living trying to please her employers by cooking and cleaning, it's somewhat of a personal matter to make sure everything looks and tastes good.

4:Inuyasha-san: Hashutsufu-san calls the brothers by their last name (despite having worked together for a while) when addressing the individual to be polite, but when both are in the room, she uses first names to avoid confusion in a somewhat less formal method...though she tacks on -san which is still somewhat polite.

5:It was funny to think of her asking for money for household chores from a man, since the home was a woman's domain and anything regarding it was the woman's responsibility and realm.: Japan still holds the whole women-stay-home-while-the-man-works routine, but there is a twist to it. Even though women don't work out of the home that much, everything dealing with the house is their realm. So when a man gets paid, he hands over the money to the wife to pay the bills with...also asks for money if he wants to buy something.

6:Being pushed around in the car was an annoyance and if he got out of here earlier than the time most office workers normally left, he could bypass that.: Subway cars are literally crammed with as many people as they hold due to the overwhelming use and number of people each morning. In a documentary I watched, an attendant was actually pushing someone past the sliding doors to make sure he would fit and catch the ride.

7:For now, everything was done; unless Inuyasha-san wanted lunch made for later and required her assistance again.: Most meals in Japan are made from scratch and since women do most of the cooking, they start very early to get things prepared. This goes for breakfast, when the cooker will wake long before everyone else.

8:Pushing twin glass doors open, Inuyasha gave a small bow to the secretary that stood as he entered.: Japanese bow a lot and it has a lot of implications in it. The length of time in a bow, the angle, and the reason for it all mean something. In this case, Inuyasha is saying hello, and the return bow is hello back.

9:"Oh no, no problem. Sorry to leave you standing there when I saw you approach.": Japanese apologize for a lot of things, even when there seems nothing to apologize for. One reason for this is comfort for the other person and thinking about them above oneself. Since this's such an important aspect to the culture, such a thing is going to be seen a lot more in this story.

10:Two hands extended; a business card in their grasp.: Exchanging of business cards in Japan is an etiquette to itself and important regarding first impressions. I explain the process of introduction and how a card looks. This is actually a serious transaction, stemming from how one holds a card, how long they read it, to it's put away, etc.

11:Small talk ensued between the group, mostly questions about Sesshoumaru and his staff of how long they'd been working for A.I.L.O. and subtle questions of home life.: Normally when a group of businessmen get down to business, refreshments are brought in at some point. At this time, everyone normally takes a break and socializes. Getting acquainted strengthens bonds and lets others know you as a person - personalizing business this way makes it harder for someone to stop business because they know you personally.

12:Sesshoumaru and his team let Jalco pick the place they wanted to go as he get everything put together to take with.: Since Japanese don't hold normal office hours, businesses go very much out of their way to do something for clients. Most often go out to eat for the fun of it, or in business meetings, and spend off-hours together. This has the same implications as #11.

13:Each had a hand basket slung over an arm to pick up some more needed items to pass the hotel over for the next few days.: Because Japanese walk almost everywhere, they don't buy a lot of groceries at one time, mostly getting enough to carry home. Also, due to generally small living conditions, fridges aren't economy size.

14:It was a bad idea to suggest, since they were only given ten thousand Yen to spend.: Using English dollars in comparison, Japanese currency is around 103-104 in exchange rate. So Y10,000 is around 96-97 American.

15:I used one in lower-secondary school.: Grades 7-9 with ages being around 12-15.


	3. 3

"Ah Kagome-chan, there you are."

Kagome's head looked up in surprise, hands up to her elbows in suds, at her friend's sudden entrance. The area was quiet, but she didn't even hear the creak of wooden floorboards. In the split second of silence, Kagome quickly took in Sango's position in the doorway and immediately let go of the sponge in her hand. It floated to the top amongst the bubbles in the sink as she went for a towel. "Is something the matter Sango-chan?"

With the weight of two hours ago on her head, Sango resisted the urge to sink to the floor. The book bag slung over a shoulder pressed against her back and the gravity of her situation made the textbooks seem a lot heavier than they really were.

Sango stood taller, took a deep breath, and walked into the kitchen area. Without explanation, she set the bag on an unused part of the counter and held one of her friend's sopping wet hands, not caring that some of the runoff was leaking to her sleeves. "Kagome-chan - I beg you. I need your attention for a few hours or so and then I won't ask anything of you the rest of the day."

There was subtle urgency in that voice, a squeeze to prune-like hands to accent it. The mild urgency and seriousness when approaching her, even a best friend, was evidence that something big was surrounding her friend. The fact that Sango-chan's bag was still with her, trekked with the girl to the top floor instead of putting it in their room a floor below, gave Kagome a clue to the problem. The woman smiled and patted her other wet hand over the pile in reassurance. "You know if you need help with anything Sango-chan, all you have to do is ask me. I'll be happy to give whatever time you need. The dishes can wait and what I've done can dry for now."

Sango smiled and went for her bag, waiting for her friend in the doorway and wiping her hands dry on blue jeans. "Thanks so much Kagome-chan - I owe you for taking you away from your work."

"It's no big deal Sango-chan, really. I was just bored anyway."

Sango resisted a snort and leaned against the arch. In minutes, Kagome emptied the sink and made sure all soap was gone in case someone wanted to use it. She stuck the sponge back in its resting place, along with the soap bottle and towel, and turned to the exit. "I'm all yours Sango-chan. What is it that we'll be working on?"

Sango practically cringed. "I have a test in two days on the entire muscle structure." Hands covered her face, crunching bangs upward as Sango groaned. "Ugh, I'll never get all those names down! How in the world can people even pronounce them? Why'd it have to be Latin?"

Kagome gave a sympathetic smile and patted a shoulder. "Don't worry Sango-chan, I know you'll do okay. You've gotten good grades in the other parts and you'll do fine in this too. And you already know some English from Kikyou-sama and high school, so it won't be as bad as you're making it out to be."(1)

Sango sighed as the pair headed for the stairs. "I sure hope you're right Kagome-chan because I can't fail this test." A finger rested against Sango's jaw in sudden thought. "Wait; scratch that...I can't fail any of my tests."

Kagome chuckled as she let Sango push shouji open and enter the room first. She let the girl start getting things pulled out for use as she headed for the closet and pulled out their hoarded zabuton to sit on. A small, rectangular table holding the cushions went with it to keep all the books on and make them easier to get to.

Kagome eyed her friend as distracted brown eyes skimmed notes to find the right pages to go over. She waited until the materials were handed for her to start in on, sitting on her calves. Sango-chan tried to do everything on her own, much like she did, and in that aspect the pair was alike. Kagome was independent - or was it just prideful? - when it came to asking for favors and taking up other people's time when she should be able to do something on her own with little or no instruction. Sango-chan only asked for study help on big tests like these, but that was still a few times a month. It made her feel good as a friend to do something so important for another.

"Alright, I've got three pages of notes to cover, along with the chapter and a study guide some of my classmates and I came up with."

Kagome's eyes widened a little as she looked at everything, staring at the notebook resting in her lap. A smile tipped her lips as she picked it up and held it close to read. "You were in a hurry when you took notes, weren't you?" She quipped, brown looking over the top to her friend.

Sango gave a sheepish grin, looking away at reference to her bad handwriting. "I know it's not calligraphy, but you're right - I was in a hurry. I had to do it all in kana because some the kanji took too long and the teacher doesn't pause much in his lectures."(2)

"Well I can make it all out; I was just teasing you Sango-chan."

Half an hour later, Kagome found out why her friend was so worried about this test. There were at least eighteen different kinds of muscles on the front of the human face alone - which was amazing enough to her - not counting all the nerves that had to go with it, or the ones that ran along the neck to the shoulders. She wouldn't exchange places with her friend in a few days for even a billion Yen. They started off with the head as an easy remembrance, intending on trekking down the body, but that was easier said than done.

They managed to get done with the front half, almost finished working with the back, when the shouji door slid open. Two pairs of brown eyes looked to it in surprise, not hearing anything outside the study bubble they had going on. "Here you are. I went to find you and you weren't in the kitchen."

Kagome smiled a little in apology and turned to the doorway. "I'm sorry about that Kikyou-sama...was there something you needed?"

Kikyou did a quick scan of the room and all the materials littering it. The place screamed study session, but that would have to change. "It's time to start dinner." Kikyou informed. "I was going to let you know I would help tonight, so I came looking for you."

Kagome blinked back shock, words of gratitude for the slack in work dying on her lips. That didn't sound right; was her hostess sick? It could be fever, except there was no delirium in the brown eyes meeting hers. Cooking was most often left up to her, Rin-chan, Ayame-chan, and sometimes Sango-chan. It wasn't necessary for Kikyou-sama to do any of the cooking because she was not only part owner of the place housing them all, she was also older.(3)

"W - well thank you very much Kikyou-sama. I would be glad to work with you tonight." Kagome turned to her friend with apology in her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I must cut this short Sango-chan. It's too bad we didn't get through everything like you needed."

Sango waved her friend away, feeling somewhat better at being able to get through at least half of her information. "You helped a lot Kagome-chan and I'm grateful for that. You go and get started - I'll be able to finish up."

Kagome nodded and handed the books over before standing. "I'll come get you when it's time to eat." She announced, quickly putting her cushion back before following her partner upstairs.

It was sort of odd to be making dinner with Kikyou-sama, though the woman wasn't a bad cook. On the contrary, the woman's attention to taste and food placement was better than hers and Kagome considered herself no slouch. Kagome just couldn't fathom Kikyou-sama making any kind of large meal, considering it required one to get their hands dirty. That kind of thing wasn't done for someone like her hostess; that was her job. As much as she didn't want to be classified as a servant, she was one in terms of helping out and also as role of maiko.

Everything turned out well in the end and the pair moved around each other in silent communication. Each was aware of the presence of the other and moved aside in case something needed to be retrieved from a cupboard or drawer. Kagome went to set the chabudai and let her partner arrange the food, since Kikyou-sama took initiative.

It didn't take long to get each placing set the way they should be and Kagome stood in the dining area, watching her cooking partner across the way dishing food from cooking pans into dishes.

The woman wasn't incompetent or frail in any way; she actually went with them to work out when the group went and practiced Aikido every so often. Kikyou-sama was known for her intermediate skill with a shinai and other wood type swords, but that paled in comparison to her eye with a bow. There weren't many options to practice that weapon at the health club they regularly attended, but when the weather was warm enough, some classes were offered. It made sense when Kagome thought about it in connection with daily life. The woman had an eye for exquisite things and detail and that transferred to her being able to hit a bull's eye quite well.

"Is there a problem Kagome?"

Kagome jumped and hurried across the way to help bring things over. "Ah no! Sorry, I didn't mean to stare."

Kikyou stared at the woman, searching the flustered gaze for why it was there in the first place. "Are you sure nothing is wrong?"

Kagome tried to fight a blush at being caught with her thoughts, busying herself with grabbing a plate. Before she could pick it up, a hand rested on her arm, halting her by its sheer presence alone. Brown eyes looked away, almost ashamed to say what was on her mind. She didn't want to be rude, but the woman was inquiring. "Well...I just think - I mean it's interesting that...you wanted to help tonight."

Kikyou's head tilted a little. "And why is that?"

"Ah, well...because you're...you're so...I'm just..."

Kikyou gave Kagome's arm a brief pat to stop her rambling and save her from trying to explain. "One's status does not mean they are immune from making a simple meal Kagome." Kikyou's lips twitched a little in compassion. "I may be geisha, but I do like to help every now and then."(4)

Kagome sheepishly smiled, thankful not to have to say anything further. The last thing she wanted to do was insinuate Kikyou-sama was stuck up and too good to be cooking simply because she was a refined entertainer. Kikyou-sama was right though, even those with the highest paying jobs still had to eat.

She wasn't putting the woman down in trying to make Kikyou-sama think she was above every other who slept under the hotel's roof. They were on different levels of age and social status, but everyone was courteous to the other and respected each as a person and whatever ideas they had to share. And it wasn't like Kikyou-sama didn't like getting her hands dirty - the four flowerpots by the front entryway always blossomed the longest of the season. The woman either possessed a green thumb, or kept very good track of her mini garden.

Kikyou-sama passed by her with a pot and Kagome stepped out of the way to keep the woman from spilling it. She took in the hakama and kimono top, the low ponytail held back with a simple ribbon, as if to tame the waist-long mass, and practically perfect way of kneeling and setting the dish quietly on the table. Kikyou-sama wasn't wearing correct dress for someone of her nature, but while alone with everyone else, the woman opted for something of comfort than looks. Still, as 'dressed down' as the geisha tried to be, Kikyou-sama still pulled off grace and beauty with ease. Perhaps once all the necessary knowledge and skills had been taught and trained, she would be much the same as Kikyou-sama.

It was an interesting thought that made Kagome pay attention to how she and the elder woman set the table. A geisha was supposed to be the epitome of poise, delicacy, etc - basically the flawless woman. They were not to show, do, or say anything considered lewd or improper. Kagome didn't know how well she would pull of this image due to her small clumsy streak and somewhat short temper. She loved being able to say what was necessary to someone for advice - whether they wanted to hear it or not - and do things that required her to get more than just her hands scuffed. She had no problem getting sweaty in workouts at the gym; she didn't mind watching sports with Sango-chan; she liked going all out when they went dancing sometimes; and she definitely liked being able to show emotion on her face.

It seemed at times Kikyou-sama was the ideal model for a porcelain doll. Long, raven hair that was cut in perfect straight lines at the edges around her waist and bangs. Pale, unblemished skin that looked like it never saw acne let alone a tan or freckle. Deep brown eyes that seemed both compassionate, but aloof. The woman was very beautiful, not just by Kagome's standards, but also by all the men who paid to have her for even plutonic entertainment. If any of them considered any kind of physical activity - which they would get if they paid enough - Kagome bet a lot shot that idea down. Kikyou-sama seemed to be made to sit and look at, to be admired for all of her qualities, not to have sex with.

"Kagome, I believe you were going to go tell Sango when dinner was ready?"

Kagome jumped to attention, hoping she wasn't caught staring, as she didn't want to reveal her thoughts this time, and looked to the table. "Ah, yes! If you would please get some tea ready, I will go fetch her."

Kikyou-sama stood and Kagome paused, knowing her ear was still needed. "Will you please go find Kaede and bring her too?"

Kagome nodded and slid into slippers to ward off chilly wood flooring, jogging to the stairs. Since she didn't know where the elderly woman was at, Kagome headed for her shared room with Sango-chan, knowing the woman would still be there.

She slid the door open to try and keep from scaring her friend, sticking her head in. "Sango-chan, time to eat."

Immediately, the books closed. Multiple hours of hard to spell katakana were forgotten in an instant as Sango stood and stretched. "Good. I'm so hungry I was nibbling on my ponytail."

Kagome grinned and stepped back as her friend made for the door, leaving everything open and littered about. Kagome ignored the mess, knowing when Sang-chan was done, she would resume studying. "Kikyou-sama wanted me to find Kaede-obaasan, so I'll let you head up without me."

"If Kaede-obaasan is anywhere, she's probably in the lobby looking over the books."

Kagome took the advice and let her friend pass the somewhat narrow archway for the next floor first, skipping down the remaining flights to the ground floor. She paused around the corner, ear trying to hear without searching the entire area, for the woman's voice. The elderly woman rarely went beyond the walls of the hotel, maybe going out once or twice a month for a walk or to meet with clients, so it was a given she'd be here.

"Kaede-obaasan?" Kagome called, stepping onto the hallway. It was a little colder down here than upstairs, mostly because the front doors were put on the same tracks as all the inside doors, which let in a lot more air. Kagome's arms hugged herself for warmth as she paused past the second 'meeting room', peering around the corner at a silver-gray head of long hair bent over a western-style desk. Kagome felt a little bad to have to disturb her employer while she was working so hard, but Kikyou-sama would be more upset if she let her elder sister go without supper. "Kaede-obaasan." Kagome quietly called.

The woman's head jerked up, eye wide in surprise. "Ah, Kagome...you startled me."

Kagome smiled in apology, giving a small bow as she stopped before the desk. "I apologize Kaede-obaasan...I didn't mean to. I know you're hard of hearing and tried to make some noise."

Kaede smiled and closed the logbook, hands folding over it. "What did you need child?"

Considering she was twenty-six and no child, it was still endearing to Kagome to hear it. Like hearing it from her own grandmother. "Dinner is ready." The elder nodded and swiveled in the relatively high chair, hopping down. In an instant, Kagome was right there to lend an arm, as the woman had issues walking in cold weather - bad joints and all that - but saw a cane resting only centimeters away. Kagome handed it over instead, stepping back and taking it slow for the woman as they left the porch-like area and headed for the back.

"So what did you make tonight Kagome? Whatever it is, I bet it's good."

Kagome smiled, practically baby stepping behind the short woman and trying not to run into her. "You flatter me Kaede-obaasan. It's not just my cooking alone tonight; Kikyou-sama helped."

"She did? Then this should be a treat tonight."

It took quite a while for Kaede-obaasan to get up all the four floors to the living section and Kagome nearly tripped on the woman a few times in the process. There was nothing to do to help, since Kaede-obaasan used one hand for her cane and the other for the railing. By the time they got there, everyone who was around was already seated with all dishes set up and letting off steam.

"Excuse me for being late." Kaede said, lowering herself into the chair. "These old bones don't like cold weather anymore."

Having gotten up the second her oneesan(5) entered, Kikyou finished helping Kaede onto her zabuton with a small smile. "You say that every year Kaede, but you're still as active as you were when you started saying it."

Kaede smiled and eyed her sister. "Which is not saying much, ne?"

Kikyou's lips tilted a little more before she took her zabuton again. "Itadakimasu."

The same phrase echoed from four sets of lips before each grabbed their chopsticks off the holders and something to dig in to. Little small talk was made, since everyone was too busy eating, also since no one ever made much talk at the table. The table was made for eating; if one wanted to converse with another, there was a sitting room on the other side of the wall for that purpose.

There was a distinct feeling and setting that occurred whenever the group sat together to eat, even incomplete as they were with two members out at whatever part-time job they had this week. As much as the unspoken rule that a person eat at the eating table instead of talk was 'enforced', no one really needed to speak.(6) A sense of companionship and silent understanding of the person sitting on either right or left could be found by just sitting there. Each woman, no matter the age, didn't know everything about their fellow soaplady(7), but observing actions and posture, unguarded facial expressions and politeness when reaching - or not - for food around someone's place gave more distinction to character than words.

It was a given that those who didn't cook helped with the dishes to pull their share of the work, but Kaede was an exception as not only oldest of everyone, but also owner of the building and what went on inside it. Kagome, despite having cooked, liked being able to do what she could to help out her second home, so started piling her dishes with Kikyou-sama's and taking them to the sink. She bypassed Sango-chan, who stepped to one side to let her in, before taking role of getting out Tupperware for whatever leftovers to be put away.

Sango grabbed the sponge and idly watched hot water fill the sink, testing the temperature with her fingers every few seconds to keep it hot enough to clean, but not first-degree burn level. She filled it one third full, since Rin kept bringing dishes from the table and raising the level. Sango leaned against the counter until both Rin and Ayame-san carried everything she could immediately wash. Instinctively, Sango knew Kagome-chan would switch the dishes and leave them on the counter instead of dumping them in the sink to wash so started scrubbing. Not that there wasn't enough room, but Sango knew her good friend enough to know that.

This was easier than having to cook, Sango figured. She wasn't that inventive or creative when it came to making delicious things - she was content to be the guinea pig to Kagome-chan when the woman got an idea in her head to try - but hard work was fun...at least Sango considered it so. As far back as Sango could remember, even elementary school, hard work was part of her life and she was so used to it she figured she would go crazy without something to do most of the time. Being given a task to do was more of a challenge than a burden, especially the cleaning or moving of anything, and Sango considered it good exercise. Both Kagome-chan and Kikyou-sama deemed it that way because Sango was born under the tiger(8) year, which helped define her personality and being so active.

Kagome finished before her friend and grabbed a towel to start drying. A number of dishes were dripping on the drying rack and quickly taking up space for others so she stepped forward to take care of that. There was little talk, but a pleasant atmosphere as the women worked. Ayame-chan got both Kaede-obaasan and Kikyou-sama more tea and took a quick minute to wipe the table off, since Rin-chan finished the line of progression and put the dried dishes away.

Within half an hour, everything had been cleared, washed, dried, and put back for tomorrow's use. The trio gave each other a look once the counter and sink were wiped down, wordlessly proclaiming themselves finished, and headed back for the occupied room.

As much as she didn't want to, Sango paused in the doorway with a regrettable look and frowned.

The cleaning partners looked up the second they finished sitting. "Sango-chan?" Kagome asked, brow furrowing.

With a small sigh, Sango looked to the hallway to the stairs. "As much as I'd like to join you all...I do have a test in a few days."

Kikyou went for her cup. "Your studies are more important Sango. We understand the need for your absence."

That didn't help the fact that for even a few minutes Sango wanted to spend time with her friends and fellow workers, but with a nod, Sango stepped back and turned down the hall. She paused and backtracked, sticking her head just past to say something else. "Kagome-chan, don't bother to stay up on my behalf. When you're tired, just come tell me and I'll put my books away."

Kagome smiled at her friend's thoughtfulness. "Arigatou Sango-chan, but I should be okay for a while."

With a nod, Sango headed down the hall for real and back to more pages of katakana.

"Poor Sango-san." Rin commented seconds after the woman left. "I feel sorry for her not being able to spend time with us."

Kikyou didn't give the girl a glance. "Sango's studies to become a doctor far outweigh the need for companionship. She has our friendship already and knows that, but college is not as understanding."

Kaede nodded. "Especially with such a demanding field as Sango is in. It's admirable the load she is taking on and we should respect the work she is doing."

Kagome thought back to all the words she helped as tutor earlier and cringed a little. "That may be, but I wouldn't want to be poor Sango-chan in a few days when that test comes around." She smiled and went for her teacup. "Her brain will be overloaded - I hope she'll be okay when she goes to class on that day."

Ayame gave a knowing nod, one of the other in the group going to college as well. "Sango-san is quite inspirational. My lessons are hard enough as it is, I couldn't imagine wanting to do something even more complex."

"Nee, Kikyou-sama...maybe if you play, Sango-san will hear and be a little more calm for her studies." Rin suddenly piped up.

The idea sounded good to more than just the youngest of the group and Kagome nearly beamed. "Yes Kikyou-sama, please play tonight. If not for Sango-chan, for the sake of us."

Kikyou eyed those at the table before setting the cup down. "Rin, since you suggested it, will you fetch my flute? It's in the storage closet, first drawer on the top right."

"Hai!" Careful of the table and not to fall over, Rin practically jumped up and left the room. Footsteps padded down in a jog for the stairs, soon gone. The girl was back almost as soon as she left, practically skidding to a stop on the hallway boards before walking in a little calmer and stopping at Kikyou-sama's side. "Here you are Kikyou-sama."

A plain, dark, oak box was presented over. Kikyou twisted at the waist to carefully take it and quietly set it on the table. A thumb tripped a flimsy, metal flap up to unlock the containments. Inside lie a long, rather drab looking piece of bamboo that was as simple as the shelter it rested in. A mere four holes cut close to the end with an odd-looking mouthpiece proclaimed the thing a standard Japanese flute.

Kikyou grasped it with a hand and hefted the tube into the air and fingered the holes to reacquaint herself with the method of creating notes. It'd been a month - perhaps more? - since she played, but everything was still fresh and well-known in her mind. Just knowing shakuhachi was not a skill to master; one only needed to learn the notes and how to create air and sound. Making notes to fit into music was the player's discretion and could be anything they wanted, fast or slow.

Being in a tranquil mood, Kikyou started slow, taking time since there was no need to rush anything. Her fingers practically crawled to each hole but held firm in their position to strengthen the sound. She played low, slowly climbing up the scale in almost jerky ascension of notes, skipping from one to another in a second when the feeling called for it.

Kagome resisted the urge to rest her elbows on the chabudai to prop her head up. She didn't want to have the woman stop to scold her for that, but she wanted to be comfortable - as this music tended to knock her out - when listening. Her mind blanked as she stared at the player, eyes drifting closed after a few dozen lazy notes, feeling herself relax in the muscles.

The random composition droned on so much, Kikyou lost herself in the beauty of forming each tone and the love for being able to sway emotions and people with her knowledge of how to play. Time canceled out as her eyes drifted shut long ago and she simply resided behind the backs of her eyelids in darkness. It was like being asleep, but still awake to sense everything. It was the form of meditation Kikyou liked best; touching an unnamed depth in her mind while still retaining control of the outside world.

By the time Kikyou finished and almost forcefully pulled her mouth away, brown eyes fluttering open, she almost snorted at seeing the room half asleep. Sure it was nearly nine, but no one went to bed till almost eleven. It amused Kikyou to know, in a way, her playing spoke of how peaceful she was and relaxed everyone in turn. She calmly and quietly put the flute back, closing the snap, letting it rest in front as the others slowly came to reality. A chuckle wanted to be released, but Kikyou hid it and merely looked on with the barest of crinkles to her eyes.

Kagome swayed a few times before finally righting herself by widening her stance on the cushion. "Ah...lovely music Kikyou-sama." A yawn escaped before Kagome could fight it. She blushed and sheepishly smiled. "Ah, gomen. Your playing tends to do that to people I think."

Rin nodded, looking sleepy but serene. "I think it does, but that's because it's so beautiful."

Kikyou nodded her thanks for the compliment, giving the youngest girl her attention. "I am finished playing now."

Rin hopped up with no other invite, gently taking the case and heading for the doorway. She paused with a thought and turned to the others. "I think I'll head for bed after this." Her head tipped in a bow, not able to go lower without fear of dropping the case.

"Oyasumi nasai Rin-chan."

"Oyasumi nasai Kagome-san."

Silence descended after the girl's exit, but Kagome's mind churned. She didn't know what time it was before Kikyou started playing, but it felt pretty late. What she wouldn't give to have a clock on the wall, but the only one they owned was in the kitchen and mostly used to keep time when cooking something. Stifling another yawn, Kagome stretched and grabbed her cup before standing. "I think I'll follow Rin-chan's example and go to sleep as well. Did you want me to take your cups for you Kikyou-sama...Kaede-obaasan?"

"I think I'll have another glass and stay for a while." Kaede answered, giving a smile.

"I will as well." Kikyou echoed.

"I'll get you some. It sounds good as well." Ayame offered, jumping up and beating Kagome to the kitchen.

"Then...oyasumi nasai." Kagome finished, giving a small bow and turning for the kitchen.

"Oyasumi nasai."

Less than five minutes later, Kagome slowly pulled the door open and blinked in surprise at finding her friend asleep over her texts. A smile appeared as Kagome walked into the room and kneeled in front of her friend. "Sango-chan, oi Sango-chan...wake up Sango-chan."

Brown eyes fluttered open before Sango slowly sat up and yawned. "Eh? Kagome-chan? What's wrong? What time is it?"

"I don't know, but why are you asleep here? Why didn't you pull out your futon?"

Sango smiled and started closing notebooks and putting papers together. "Who told Kikyou-sama to play?"

Kagome giggled in understanding and made to help her friend. "Rin-chan figured it would help relax you, since you will most likely be nervous come test time."

Sango gave a dry grin as she set everything next to her backpack and other stack of textbooks. "The girl has the right idea, but that was not something I needed tonight. I barely remember trying to memorize the calf muscles before hearing Kikyou-sama play and was gone soon after."

Kagome gave a few clicks with her tongue in amusement as she pulled out futon and blankets. "I agree. I practically fell asleep on the chabudai myself." Kagome handed over Sango-chan's futon, letting her friend set it up as she went to do her own. "But at least Kikyou-sama played this late - I'm almost ready to fall asleep now."

Sango went for the closet holding her pajamas, already untying strings and undoing buttons of her clothes. "Me too. But at least I got a lot of studying in. Now all I have to do is the same thing tomorrow."

Kagome gave her friend a sympathetic smile at the minute grumbling tone. "Poor Sango-chan. Cheer up, ne?" In no time the pair was changed with beds set up and ready for use. Kagome let her friend get settled before flicking off the lone light bulb in the room, plunging the space into gray darkness as she tiptoed to her bed. "Oyasumi nasai Sango-chan."

"Oyasumi nasai Kagome-chan."

**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner, so if these are not 100 correct, please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page and a dictionary to learn from. This spot dedicated to new vocabulary only.**

**Translations:** Maiko-Apprentice geisha - Chabudai-low dining (tea) table - Aikido-Way of harmony with the universe, also a defensive form of martial arts - Shinai-Bamboo fencing stick

Geisha-Japanese singing and dancing girl, also plutonic entertainer in general - Hakama-Man's formal divided skirt **(They also make them for women now)** - Oneesan-Honorable older sister

Arigatou-Thank you - Nee-Say/hey, general means of getting someone's attention - Hai-Yes/okay/alright/etc, general acknowledgement or agreement

Shakuhachi-Bamboo flute **(also defined as oral sex/fellatio) -** Gomen-Your pardon/declining (something)/dismissal/permission - Oyasumi nasai-Polite way of saying good night - Oi-Hey

**Having done much research, this story will be highly Japanese orientated and probably confusing at points. Numbers at the end of sentences will describe the whole sentence, while numbers next to a word will describe only that. If any of these are wrong, please correct me.**

1:"And you already know some English from Kikyou-sama and high school, so it won't be as bad as you're making it out to be.": I don't know much about the school system, but I know the English language is taught. Most of it has to deal with learning the alphabet and some grammar points, but speaking isn't used quite so much. As far as Kikyou teaching it, that will get explained later with other characters.

2:"I had to do it all in kana because some the kanji took too long and the teacher doesn't pause much in his lectures.": Japanese use the old Chinese kanji system and one character can take up to twenty strokes. There are also around two thousand kanji compared to around one hundred Japanese katakana and one hundred hiragana.

3:It wasn't necessary for Kikyou-sama to do any of the cooking because she was not only part owner of the place housing them all, she was also older.: Since the hotel is run and owned by Kikyou and Kaede, everyone living under their roof helps with cooking and/or cleaning to help to pull their weight. Electricity, rent, etc. are taken out by garnishing the wages and giving the remainder.

4:"I may be geisha, but I do like to help every now and then.": Geisha are strictly entertainers. They do everything to keep their skin soft and clear and spend most of their time practicing dance, song, instruments, conversation, etc. Housework is not included in this.

5:Oneesan: In this story, Kaede is 42, Kikyou is 34. Kaede is the older sister by birth, but Kikyou is also an older sister in a different way which will be explained (and said) in future chapters.

6:As much as the unspoken rule that a person eat at the eating table instead of talk was 'enforced', no one really needed to speak.: Japanese (and also Chinese) people eat at the table and don't talk. If they do, they don't make a lot of conversation out of it and let food go cold.

7:Soaplady: A type of modern prostitution in Japan that takes place in 'love hotels' that people go to for privacy (since many live with their parents). Many of these are vivid and gaudy with coloring, but I choose an old fashioned look for this hotel, which will be explained in later chapters. **(http:www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/IES/japan.html#8, go to section B and Soaplands for more information)**

8:Tiger: Sango is born under the sign of the tiger. http: is great for details. I tried to match everyone under some Chinese astrology sign and hope I did good enough of a job.


	4. 4

There was much bowing and profuse thanks by the president and a few accompanying members before Sesshoumaru finally cut the group off with a final bow of his own. "Gentlemen, thank you for your kind words. It was nothing, really. I'm glad we managed to smooth things out and keep your contract in tact."

Why was it the silliest things turned out to be the biggest blowups? Someone in the shipping floor misread some kanji and kana and sent the order somewhere in north part of Russia. It took weeks to truck the whole thing past cold roads and bad temperatures, so by the time the order got there and someone called assistance - and after there was someone found to translate for communication - the lawyer was already hired by the actual buyer. The order arrived in tact, but it took a few days, from reports of whoever received it, to figure out the English enough to get things started and call.

The call came in mere minutes after the court date sadly congregated, a date Sesshoumaru couldn't beat. It grated on his problem-solving professionalism to not keep this out of court, but he knew his research team was feeling somewhat worse. Things were overlooked all around as Jalco offered to pay shipping to get it back to Japan and resent to the place it was supposed to go.

Much apologizing and bowing on the part of the shipper took place to the president and the offer of quitting his position, but the president was at least kind enough to spare the man losing his job. A mistake happened and the president even admitted it was possible to misunderstand a character when so many had multiple meanings and so many lines.

"From what we know, the parts are to arrive at their destined time within a few hours. We've kept track of them to be sure this doesn't happen again and the minute the company floor receives the shipping paperwork they are to call us to double-check they have what they need."

"Thank you so much for doing all this extra Jouryuu-san. It should be part of our crew's responsibility, but your team is going to all the trouble of handling this."

Sesshoumaru waved the president's words aside. "Nonsense Yamakawa-shachou; if on the off chance something happens, I want to be the one to get it corrected in as short a time as possible. But I have a good feeling nothing will go wrong now, so please don't fret anymore."

"I trust your judgment Jouryuu-san and I'll leave everything in your capable hands. I'm sorry we ended up contacting you, but we all know how hard it is to deal with outsiders."

Sesshoumaru gave a quiet, noncommittal hum through his nose, not wanting to take sides either way. It wasn't his job to agree or disagree with whoever paid his salary, even if he had preconceived notions on some things already. Those stayed outside the office building or he would not have a job with whatever prejudices he owned.

"I'm so relieved we didn't break contract with our buyer though. I have about a thousand people on the production floor who make a large amount of parts for more than just this buyer. It would be a shock to them and a loss in finances. I couldn't bear having to downsize because of that."

Sesshoumaru let the president drone on, knowing the man could rant as much as he wanted now that none of it meant anything. All the anxiety over the month and a half was slowly being forgotten and left behind. Sesshoumaru wasn't worried about anything really; those parts existed somewhere in the world and it was just a matter of finding them.

"For all your hard work, I'd like to reward you and your crew Jouyruu-san."

"Please Yamakawa-shachou, that's very kind of you, but we don't -"

"Nonsense, I insist." The man cut in, throwing manners aside. "You saved this company a lot of money, workers, and possibly our future as manufacturers. Who knew what would occur if other companies got wind of what happened recently. We could go out of business simply on assumed unreliability alone. For that, I want to treat you all as soon as this whole thing is finished and behind us."

Those of the research team cast each other speculative sideway glances, mentally wondering the same thing: just what was going to be given?

Sesshoumaru subtly eyed his team and the president for a quick second, thinking everything through before giving his team a more blatant search. The curious, interested looks in three pairs of brown eyes told him it couldn't hurt to accept whatever the president had in mind. Looking ahead, Sesshoumaru gave the man his attention. "Then we accept Yamakawa-shachou and would like to thank you ahead of time for your gracious generosity."

The man gave a sudden, almost sly smile, as if something just occurred to him by those words. "I'll keep your thanks, but you can express your gratitude after the day I give you your gift."

Confusion and more curiosity were too much to ignore and it even grabbed a hold of Sesshoumaru, who raised a white brow the barest of degrees.

-.-.-.-

"Big job?"

"What day is this on?"

A hand waved the small group back from the western-style desk. "Everyone back up so I can look at the ledger." Kaede peered at her kana and kanji. "In around a week we'll have a rather large, rather well-paying group enter and I want you all to be on your best behavior."

Multiple pairs of brown eyes looked to each other in curiosity and befuddlement. "Who's the group? Did you get a main name?" Kagome asked.

Kaede waved off the questions again. "Yes, but that doesn't matter right now. What matters is sizing them up in the first five minutes they arrive because when I asked the man what kind of women he and the others liked, I didn't get an answer." A hand thoughtfully rubbed the woman's chin. "Normally I get at least that. Something tells me not everybody knows about this."

Kikyou's brow furrowed the barest of degrees as she studied the miniscule details in the book. Normally her sister tried to find out as much information as possible beforehand to let them breathe a little easier. It wasn't in hers or Kaede's nature to play the guessing game when it came to their business. "You may be right Kaede. This seems more obscure than normal. Men normally tell more than this one."

Sango switched the foot she was leaning on as she rested on her friend's shoulder to peer at the book with everyone else. "Well it doesn't matter now I guess. What's done is done and now comes time to be creative."

Yuka gave a somewhat less-than-happy look and directed it at Eri. "Does this mean we have to ruffle through our outfits in speculation of what we might use?"

Eri gave her twin(1) a brief glance at the tone, but nodded in agreement. "We can't exactly NOT be at the front door to greet everyone, but we can't be in our normal clothes when we do. How are we going to know what to wear when we're in the room with whoever we'll be paired with if we have nothing to go by?"

The hand never stopped moving against Kaede's face. "That's a problem. Since we tend to tailor to a man's job, life, or his taste in women, we can't have you all wearing whatever you please." The elder was silent for a spell, mind churning in many different angles. "We'll have to do as Sango said and be a little creative. Everyone will have to compromise. Since some of you have certain styles you incorporate with your personalities, try to use that in figuring out your clothes. When the group arrives, stay out of the way until I can size them up."

"But Kikyou-sama has it easy." Eri pointed out. "She always dresses in the same type of clothing."

Kikyou gave the woman her attention. "That may be Eri, but I have a harder job than all of you."

Rin nodded. "Yea Eri-san. Kikyou-sama has to know much more of about everything to entertain. We don't need to know anything other than the routine we've always followed."

"So how much time do we have before they get here?" Sango broke in. She wasn't interested in any kind of argument or discussion between anyone when a lot of money was apparently coming their way soon. There were bills to pay on her end and money to send to her brother from this.

"We have a few days. Apparently this is supposed to be a celebration visit, which explains the delay. Take that time to get things sorted on your end."

The group nodded and took that order as the last word they needed, heading back to the top floor to continue what they were doing before being brought down. Everyone sat in the same spots in the living section, a low table and zabuton loitering the center. Nail files, buffers, clippers, polishes, and bowels of water littered the wood top.

Kikyou-sama's brow furrowed in a cringe, hand instantly twitching as Sango got too close in removing a cuticle. Sango matched the look, meeting the woman's eyes in apology. She could see in those brown eyes that her partner looked none too happy about the rough treatment. "Gomen." Sango mumbled.

Kikyou's gaze switched from Sango's to subtly gazing at Kagome and her partner. Eri and Yuka were both doing their nails - who else's would they be doing? - and so she was left with Sango. The woman gave a mental sigh, making sure nothing showed on her face. Why couldn't she have gotten Kagome or Rin? Sango wasn't the delicate type per say and it showed. The woman didn't care too much of the condition of her hands, probably because she did so much in her life. This type of feminine stuff Sango didn't keep up with, as showed with the need to round out the edges of her nails and the horrible condition of her cuticles.

Kikyou stopped herself before the judging went any farther. It wasn't right to put things on her manicure partner just because Sango was so active. There was enough going on with trying to fit in college and all part-time jobs at the same time and still earn enough money to make ends meet. It was admirable, the things Sango was trying to do for herself and her kin, taking on a load that didn't allow for much slack time. Truthfully, it would be better if Sango were in the room she shared with Kagome doing some studying, but Kikyou knew too much was unhealthy. Sango tried her hardest to study, but sometimes the girl almost refused to look at another page of required lingo and terms. It built up until a necessary break for even a few hours was in order. That's just the way Sango was born; if one caged a tiger, they were in for some problems.

Sango felt a little bad when she finished Kikyou-sama's manicure and the woman took her turn. The comparison of gentleness and skill was nonexistent and knowing she could've tried a little harder not to hurt her hostess didn't escape her. Sango bypassed it though, seeing Kikyou-sama seemed to forget about it as well and concentrated on the job.

"It's a shame we're going to ruin our nails making dinner in a few hours." Rin suddenly commented. Almost everyone gave her their attention, a few blinking in confusion. It took some a few minutes to get that she wasn't talking about them all, just those involved with cooking.

It was more of the fact that they would have to be watch their polish jobs to make sure nothing flicked off into the food, but Kagome smiled and resisted the urge to pat her hand over her manicure partner's, since the girl was using both of them. "It'll be okay Rin-chan. We'll just have to make sure to be careful, ne?"

After all cuticles were cut away; nails were buffed and somewhat glossed; a clear coat of nail protector was put on - seconds after someone went and opened a window; and fingers were dipped in cold water to help solidify the polish; everyone started waving hands to get their fingers to dry, since no one trusted wiping them on towels in a delicate condition and do everything over again. The smell lingered through the cool March air blowing inside. It made a few shiver, but they huddled a little closer to themselves for warmth for the few minutes needed. After that, those that had to get to work on food headed down the hall, leaving the others to pick things up.

-.-.-.-

Yellow eyes looked at the relatively simple structure, lights showing through glass panels on sliding wood doors. It was odd that in this time of severe western influence, someone still had something of like this.

0-

_"Please forgive my apologies for being so secretive and thoughtless. An insight came to me and I suppose rather than trying to surprise you, I should make sure it's okay to go through with what I intended to give you."_

_Everyone looked at each other, then to the solitary man sitting across them. No staff was present this time, the president came on his own, which told everyone something important was to be said for their ears only. Everyone was called to a meeting, which was odd considering the company settled things with their buyer. The phone call was reported by Kyouda-san just an hour or so ago._

_"Whatever it is can't be that bad Yamakawa-shachou. You have no need to apologize." Sesshoumaru broke in._

_Yamakawa-shachou nodded and leaned forward on his knees. "In truth, it may seem a little extravagant, but I felt it was appropriate in considering how much you helped my company. I was intending on taking you all out for some...entertainment as it were. I know of a place I visited a few months ago and it's still around. I figured you wouldn't mind a little...company from a woman for a few hours."_

_There was much blinking and blank, shocked minds. Everyone stared ahead and practically gaped, forgetting how rude it was to do so, as they processed the full implications and subtle meaning in those well-timed pauses. A few made the process of speaking, but their mouths only opened and closed a few times in lack of anything to say._

_Finally, one managed to come to his senses and leaned back against the western-style couch. "Thank you for the offer Yamakawa-shachou, but I'll pass."_

_The president's gaze shifted, furrowing a little in small confusion. "May I inquire as to why Kyoushuu-san?"_

_Kouga looked to the carpet, jaw tightening a little. "I'm not embarrassed about it, but I'm sort of dating someone who, if she finds out about this, will not be happy in the slightest." It was true, but it wasn't. The word dating had so many implications and Kouga didn't think this was that serious. Ayame_(2)_ was a friend of his and someone he knew from college, even had a class or two with in the past, but if she found out he was sleeping around when he could have her, she'd verbally beat the shit out of him. He didn't need that kind of grief and it was all too easy to imagine._

_The almost tense silence was broke again by shuffling on the couch. "I - I also have to agree with Kyoushuu-san Yamakawa-shachou. I'm afraid, but I will also withdraw. I'm not...I don't really..." Houjou broke off as his face started heating and quickly looked to an opposite wall, embarrassed for being so flustered about this. But as much as he was no stranger to women, having dated in the past, Houjou wasn't the type to take any woman he wanted. A depth of feeling was required on SOME level for his tastes._

_Yamakawa-shachou nodded after a second; a little sad he couldn't repay back someone who worked so hard and saved him a lot of money and business. He was about to open his mouth and offer the pair something else, but startled a little at the sudden action by yet another across the way._

_"I don't believe you two! Yamakawa-shachou is going quite out of his way and obviously offering quite a bit to repay us. I can't believe your acceptance at his gift has gone so low. I'm ashamed to be working with you two!"_

_The three on the couch stared at the idiot dramatically standing over them, flat looks on their faces. No one took his words to heart, considering the lavished way of acting and admonishment. And the fact that they were being lectured for not going to visit a woman._

_A raven brow ticked on Kouga's head as he suppressed annoyance. "Sit down Enzen." He ground out. "Perv."_

_A hand rose and yanked Miroku back to his seat next to Kouga. A smile tipped his lips at the rise he got out of his fellow co-worker. Miroku turned to the man, leaning on a shoulder. "I'm serious Kouga. You're being rude not to accept such a generous, well thought-out gift."_

_Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to sigh at his employee's incompetence. "We get the point; you can stop at any time." Yellow eyes met the president's as his mind worked. Not being a very social person - work was something else entirely, the thrill of solving problems and winning was quite a motivator to get involved with different people - or in the need of a woman's company for sex, Sesshoumaru wanted to agree with his research team...minus Miroku. But Miroku made a point in that it WAS rude to refuse a gift. Even one such as this. "I accept."_

_Yamakawa-shachou nodded, a little relieved that he wouldn't fully humiliate himself by suggesting such a thing and embarrass everyone by confronting them with his suggestion. "Thank you Jouryuu-san."_

_"I also accept Yamakawa-shachou." Miroku avidly responded. Eagerness split itself on his face, a smile trying to be hidden at what awaited them. "I would be proud to meet with you in a few days to wherever it is we'll be going."_

_It was no wonder the others acted to Enzen-san as they did about his comments. Apparently, this one liked women a lot more than the other three. But with a last name as Enzen, it shouldn't be that much of a surprise. Yamakawa-shachou resisted a smile at the boy's behavior. "If you like, feel free to bring someone with you. I have planned for your group, so there are two open spots."_

_Sesshoumaru thought this almost ironic and slightly funny, and would've smiled if he wanted to draw attention to himself. Kouga and Houjou had no siblings and Miroku's were continents away; he was the only one with a sibling in the same country. But Inuyasha had even less use for women than he did and was as apt to refuse as much as Kouga had. Not to mention the idiot he called brother was as clueless and clumsy as he was acquainted with them._

_Miroku suddenly grinned and looked to his superior. "Yea Jouryuu-san...why don't you bring your ototo?"_

_Sesshoumaru sent a small glare over Houjou to his shushou. Leave it to Miroku to think this was amusing. Even if there was humor to be found in it, not to mention the ways he could make Inuyasha uncomfortable, Sesshoumaru wasn't going to bother asking when he knew the answer._

_"You have an ototo Jouryuu-san? How old is the boy?"_

_Boy seemed appropriate when Sesshoumaru considered Inuyasha's behavior at times. "He's twenty-seven, Yamakawa-shachou. But I know my brother and he's not exactly...well-known to the ways of women."_

_Yamakawa-shachou's hand waved. "At that age and he hasn't spent time with the other sex? I insist that he come Jouryuu-san. If it's not too forward of me to say, it might do the boy some good."_

_Miroku barked out a laugh and slapped a hand over his mouth to stifle it. His stomach shook with silent laughter as he tried to compose himself and think his way out of everyone's attention, even if those he worked with knew Inuyasha, or at least knew of him from Sesshoumaru and his occasional gripe. It was a fight to wipe the smile off his face, and in the end, Miroku let it remain and tried to talk around it. "Excuse my outburst Yamakawa-shachou, but I agree with Jouryuu-san. I'm a friend of his brother and it's as he says; Inuyasha isn't good with handling women."_

_"These people are very good, I assure you. If you're worried about my choice in location, please don't be. They're professional and very attentive."_

_Miroku adopted a somewhat sly look, fighting a smirk. What woman wasn't in that aspect?_

_Sesshoumaru, seeing he wasn't going to talk his way out of this, closed his eyes and leaned back in defeat. "If it will make you happy to have him come along, I will discuss it with him shachou-san. But I do not guarantee his attendance."_

_Yamakawa-shachou nodded. "That leaves one more person to fill. Is there someone else any of you know of to bring?"_

_It wasn't that hard of a question, even if the mental image was not one any wanted to consider. "Kyouda-san has done some calls for us while we had things of our own to check out." Houjou piped up. "If it's possible, he could go with too."_

_There was a split second of silence in the room as everyone took into account the man's age. Despite the fact that they were all men, no one wanted to think about Myouga having a meeting with a woman possibly younger than him...MUCH younger. That wasn't to say the president was a spring chicken. It took a while for someone to gain presidency status and not a lot of people would fully trust their jobs and essentially their lives to someone who didn't know what they were doing. Yamakawa-san gained the position from his father, having worked his way up from a medium-level position to taking over at the man's death. Still, their now former client was closer to Sesshoumaru's age than Myouga's._

_"We can ask and see what he'll say." Sesshoumaru answered._

0-

"This is it?"

"Charming little place isn't it?"

"Stuff it Enzen. Let's head in."

Sesshoumaru watched raven flow back as his brother passed him and made to open the doors. Footsteps from behind met his ears as the others followed and Sesshoumaru picked up his step to cross the final path on the practically non-existent walkway.

0-

_"No."_

_"I knew your answer before I even asked you, but I told the president I'd try."_

_"No."_

_"I don't want to shame the man despite the oddity of his 'gift', since he apparently is going to spend a lot of money hiring these women."_

_"No."_

_A white brow ticked as Sesshoumaru fought not to glare. "I know your vocabulary is small, but try another word." He practically bit out._

_Inuyasha gave a less-than-amused look and narrowed brown eyes. "You want vocabulary? Here's some...I have no need to go and fuck a woman I don't even know who I will never have any connection with. I don't give a rat's ass about YOUR old client's emotional reputation when I can do MY job in the time you'll be out screwing some high-paid bitch."_

_Like trying to persuade a brick wall to pick up and move. Sesshoumaru's face turned to direct some annoyance on the wall next to the chabudai. The need to grate his brother's nerves urged Sesshoumaru to talk, but a good fight was needed rather than making the idiot mad. Inuyasha practically owed him for this, since most of his salary went to paying the bills - especially the electric bill! - and almost dishonoring their father by not following in his footsteps._

_"Listen Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru began, setting his teacup down. Disregarding manners, elbows rested on the wood surface, fingers crossing in lawyer-like seriousness. "I know how horrible you are with women, but that's due to your inexperience with them."_

_"Kiss my ass."_

_Sesshoumaru ignored that jab. "You can't be so high-and-mighty by closing yourself off and refusing to work with others._(3)_ What will people think of this family? Our name is known in Tokyo and I for one don't want it stained because my ototo doesn't see fit to blend in with society."_

_"I'M high and mighty? You're one to talk! You don't like involving yourself with people either, so don't go lecturing me on that. My 'ignorance' with women doesn't concern you in the slightest; you just want to make nice with your client to keep your word and reputation."_

_Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed a little. With a detached face, he leaned forward on his arms. "You WILL do this for me." He calmly stated, looking into brown eyes. "Don't think just because we're both adults that I've forgiven you for what you've done with your life and how I have to support you simply because I'm older. I made a promise to chichi-ue before he died and I'll continue to live up to it. But it sickens me to have to live with someone I call family who can't be a man and disgraces himself on a daily basis."_

_It was always a touchy subject to bring up their parents and the job choice Inuyasha made. It was the weapon used whenever Sesshoumaru needed to prove a point and he made it as often as possible. Inuyasha worked by himself as much as he could, interacting with his agency only when heading to turn a project in. Despite being an adult, Inuyasha remained indoors a lot, playing with his computer in a job Sesshoumaru disapproved of. It was a daily occurrence to bite his tongue when what Sesshoumaru really wanted to do was force his brother out into the working world - or at least into the cubicle provided by the agency! - and get some people skills._

_The anger deflated with those words and guilt took its place. Inuyasha slumped a little, staring hard at their eating table, jaw set. He hated Sesshoumaru for always bringing up something he was good at. Sesshoumaru, regardless of his personality, had no problem dealing with people and didn't empathize with his need for space. His brother didn't understand the need for a programming job, since he didn't even use a computer at his office._(4)_ Having been to A.I.L.O. in the past, Inuyasha knew the building and some of those who worked there - especially the research team working for him. Everything was hard copy paper in triplicate._

_He wanted to argue, wanted to throw back another stinging fact at Sesshoumaru, but Inuyasha was in a corner...as always. Part of him did resent not being able to keep a good enough memory of his father alive by taking a job in the same social field, but working with computers was something he was good at and liked doing. So what if numbers didn't talk to you? It was a job and it was something he knew would be in higher demand in future years. In spite of the 'traditional' way things were 'supposed' to be handled, Japan was going to keep changing._

_Knowing Sesshoumaru was waiting for an answer, most likely gloating at winning to boot, Inuyasha glared at the table. "Fine. I'll go. But don't expect me to play nice."_

_Sesshoumaru's face smoothed of all bad emotions, the only evidence of his happiness. "You'll behave yourself well enough I imagine."_

0-

Half of the group jumped back as the door slid open before either could take initiative, showing a young woman in a pastel tsukesage. She bowed as deep as possible around the obi for at least half a minute before righting herself and stepping back to allow them entrance. "Welcome. Please forgive me for keeping you standing out there."

The door slid open for them and all walked the few steps to what looked like a wide wooden hallway. Each took their shoes off and made for the provided slippers, ignoring the girl who immediately moved to put them in order.

"Welcome to our humble establishment. You are the group Yamakawa we have been expecting, yes?"

The group of five eyed the elderly women sitting behind a western-style desk. A hand reached out of view for a split second before she stood and slowly walked toward them, cane in hand. She was possibly the shortest elderly woman any had ever seen. Though Japanese were naturally short, she seemed to not gotten enough food as a child. That didn't seem to be the case now with her stout figure covered in houmongi.

Hearing his name, Yamakawa stepped forward and gave a bow. "I am Yamakawa madam. I hope we are not late for our appointment."

He received a bow in return, if it was possible for the woman to do so without falling over. The urge to give an arm and help an elder stand, despite the cane she was already using, nearly made Yamakawa step forward, but he restrained himself, not wanting to be impetuous

"You are all right on time Yamakawa-san. I am Gachi Kaede and I welcome you to my soaplady hotel." Kaede bowed again, good eye sizing everyone up in an instant. Having had so many years dealing with men, it was easy to figure their personalities by their style of dress, the way they stood, the looks on their faces, and how they kept their physical self. Her eye looked over to her helper standing in the corner that was avidly watching and waiting for something else to do. "Rin."

"Hai." The girl jumped to and shuffled past the group of men, feeling a little intimidated at their unannounced high stature and kept her gaze on the floor. She stopped next to Kaede and immediately offered an arm as the woman's hand extended. The pair moved back to the desk and Kaede sat, going for a pen. "May I have each of your last names?"

"Yamakawa."

"Enzen."

"Kyouda."

"Jouryuu Sesshoumaru."

"Jouyruu Inuyasha."

Kaede looked up at the first names in dumbfoundment, simply nodding and adding their kanji as well. "Would any of you gentlemen care for some refreshments for later? Sake? Ocha?"

The group watched her write and thought. "I'll take sake." Miroku piped up.

"I also will have sake." Myouga added.

"I'm fine." Inuyasha mumbled, making sure to be loud enough in case the woman had bad hearing.

"Green tea is fine." Sesshoumaru replied.

"I am fine without." Yamakawa finished.

With a nod, Kaede wrote down all orders and handed the paper to Rin. "Give this to the girls and tell them to be ready. I will see the gentlemen to their selected rooms."

Rin gave a nod before running as fast as possible for the back stairs and hopping the steps to the top floor. She tried to read the paired names and room numbers in curiosity without tripping.

Kaede slipped off the chair and approached the group. She bowed again before turning for the hallway. "If you will all follow me please. I apologize that the girls are not here to greet you themselves, but they will be down very shortly. When they arrive, they will explain things to you. Please don't hesitate to correct them if need be." With that, she started off and stopped at the first door on the right. As best as possible, Kaede opened the sliding door and bowed. "Enzen-san will be here." Without a word and filled with curiosity, Miroku removed his slippers at seeing tatami and headed inside. Kaede shut the door behind him and continued on.

The process repeated to the door on across the way to the left. "Yamakawa-san will be here." All rooms seemed to be identical and in that aspect, Yamakawa did the same as Miroku with his slippers. Continuing to the next set, Kaede put the brothers across from each other in the same manner and shut the fourth door behind Jouryuu Sesshoumaru. She turned at last to Kyouda-san with a bow. "If you would accept this old woman's humble company, I will be your companion for tonight."

Myouga bowed a little as well, also possessing a cane and bad back to boot. "This old man will take your company Kaede-san." There was a small gleam of good humor in his eyes as they both rose. "I am not as...rambunctious as the other youngsters, so I will take the soft presence of a woman. I will be happy if you entertain me with good humor and good sake."

Kaede smiled, finding Kyouda-san to be kind enough. It was possible that she would be denied and then she would have to call one of the other girls. None would object and would take the job to obtain the money, but it would be a little disgusting to have a man easily their grandfather's age. With men this old, she was the only logical choice...though many DID like their women decades younger. Kaede was glad he settled for her, as old as she was and with her disfigurement.(5)

With another bow, Kaede turned for the stairs and tried to keep off to one side to walk next to the man. "If you will please follow me then Kyouda-san and I will see you to your room. I will make sure to do as you ask and hope it pleases you."

**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner, so if these are not 100 correct, please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page and a dictionary to learn from. This spot dedicated to new vocabulary only.**

**Translations:** Ototo-Little brother - Shachou-san-Mr. president - Chichi-ue-Father **(very formal and old way of saying it)** - Tsukesage-Less fancy kimono for both married and unmarried women

Houmongi-Formal, but it could be semi-casual kimono for both married and unmarried women - Gachi-artistry/good taste/elegance/grace - Sake-Alcohol made with rice instead of wheat

Ocha-General word for tea, also for green tea

**Having done much research, this story will be highly Japanese orientated and probably confusing at points. Numbers at the end of sentences will describe the whole sentence, while numbers next to a word will describe only that. If any of these are wrong, please correct me.**

1:Twin: Eri and Yuka look so much alike in the anime (which is what I'm going by with this story for some things) that I made them twins. They also have similar personalities as well.

2:Ayame: Kouga is dating the girl he's engaged to in the anime. They're not in this story though and Ayame won't get much mention in it.

3:"You can't be so high-and-mighty by closing yourself off and refusing to work with others.": Japanese who don't work together or with others a lot of the time like IY does consider that person to be really uppity and snobbish.

4:His brother didn't understand the need for a programming job, since he didn't even use a computer at his office.: Computers are lifeless and anyone who chats with others using one knows this. For people in Japan who do business face to face, this would be seen as uncaring and cold. Sesshoumaru is also older than IY and not as flexible to change (which is the timeless conflict of youth vs. old in ideas).

5:Kaede was glad he settled for her, as old as she was and with her disfigurement.: Kaede has only one eye in this story and I will explain why in later chapters.


	5. 5: Middle March

The second Rin passed the mini-hallway housing the stairs, everyone all but pounced. Each had on a different outfit and all were dressed. Though there weren't enough men for everyone, no one knew who would be picked, so it was better to get an outfit dirty needlessly than keep their clients waiting like they were now.

"So Rin-chan?"

"Is it a group of old men like we figured?"

"It is, isn't it?"

Mindful of the butterfly obi that could get wrinkled or mussed, Kikyou pressed between the hoard standing in front of the stairs and reached for the list Rin immediately and wordlessly handed over. Brown eyes read the names and rooms and twisted to face those wanting an answer. "Eri, Yuka - help Rin get everyone drinks. I will give you the list so you can hurry. Sango, you're with Enzen-san in room one. Ayame, you're with Yamakawa-san in room two. Kagome, you're with Jouryuu-san in room three. I'm with the other Jouryuu-san in room four and Kaede is with Kyouda-san upstairs in room seven."

The first thought of everyone's mind was Kikyou's dictation. The twins, although mildly relieved not to have to hand their bodies over to men tonight, were not happy at not making money. Tuition needed to be paid, dorm rent needed to be contributed to, and the rest hopefully could be saved.

The second thought all considered as they made to move was the fact that Kaede-obaasan was working.

"EH? Kaede-obaasan and Kyouda-san?" Ayame burst out.

"It must be an elderly man." Kagome reasoned, though she refused to think of the elder maybe doing what they would be in the next few minutes.

"We have guests you three should be getting to." Kikyou broke in. She gave Eri the information and immediately turned for the stairs. Mindful of the short legroom, a hand floated over the railing to the ground floor.

"Kikyou-sama is sure composed." Sango muttered, butterflies starting. The knowledge of what she would do, the pride that made her want to rebel against going through with it, and the weight of responsibility as elder sister to help her brother converged again. It was a constant war between shame and no choice. This job paid well because men were willing to shell out a lot of money for pleasure and the better a woman was, the higher the price. It was that fact which kept Sango at this place.

Also the fact that it paid so high. All the other part-time jobs she had when not working here, studying, or in class were to keep getting cash on the side. Not even a regular part-time job at any of the places she temporarily worked at would be enough compared to here.

Knowing only most of her friend's problems, but sympathizing with her emotions, Kagome grabbed Sango-chan's hand. "You'll do okay Sango-chan." She coached, tugging the way to get downstairs. "We'll all do fine." It was a half-lie, half-truth based on the followed routine they mostly stuck to. Kagome was getting as nervous as her friend and detached their hands to keep the mild trembling hidden. She felt the same Sango-chan did and knew of the issues between disgrace and need for work, as the two spent many nights conversing in whispers when they should've been sleeping.

The three practically skipped steps to catch up with their head geisha and unpronounced leader, quickly braking at finding her standing in the archway. Four pairs of lights in the narrow hallway peeked around under the sliding door tracks and entryway lights.

"Remember your manners." Kikyou murmured.

-.-.-.-

The room was very traditional and plain. Tatami lined the floor, minus space for a small tub of water against a wall and little washing space, with crème walls and shouji. A dark oak closet seemed the only thing in this room housing any intimidation, as it went to the ceiling and fit into a wide space next to a very dinky room. Sesshoumaru assumed it to be a toilet room, given the comparison to his at his apartment.

Yellow eyes stared at the other doorway in the room. The shouji remained closed, but a small draft said that there was a balcony outside. It was dark when they entered, so if he could spy anything, it wasn't much. Sesshoumaru was somewhat tempted to open the doors and look out, but the view wasn't bound to be any good. Housing everywhere in Tokyo was scrunched together to fit maybe two people side-by-side in between the walkway.(1) Even though this place seemed to be here for years, it was doubtful the owner would get away with more than two meters without paying for the cost of space.

Whispers of sound reached his ears and Sesshoumaru turned. Light footsteps stopped right outside his door and after the briefest bouts of silence, the door gently and gracefully slid open. Sesshoumaru blinked at a vision kneeling just outside the shouji track. He watched the woman and took in every detail of face and clothing. The way she stood without wrinkling practically anything, stepping into the room, and then kneeling to quietly shut the door the same way it was opened.

It was almost amazing to Sesshoumaru, a person who dealt with so many different cultures and countries to defend his own people, to see something of such antiquity from his own homeland. No woman ever opened a door from crouching stance anymore, especially not one of this youthful age. She didn't appear that old, but her eyes gave her away.

Sesshoumaru kept eyes trained on her as she managed to turn half circle to face him and gave a koutou without damaging her expensive outfit on the tatami fibers or disarraying it. He was minutely impressed at the natural grace she exuded in this simple greeting and knew the old woman chose someone to fit his personality. He thought back to the president's words of the professionalism and knew it was true. It made him wonder how this place managed to survive so long, since most prostitution was supposed to be illegal in Japan.(2)

Yellow eyes took in the woman's face as she raised and met his gaze for a split second. Long, pitch hair shone in the light above her head in a few curls accented by a simple pink and white kanzashi set. Her bangs were a straight line across her face, as if to express in a way the amount of order of her person. Her eyes were so dark they seemed almost black and lost to the pupils of her eyes. Her skin was pale, even more so than some women he saw around the city. He doubted it was makeup, since the skin of her hands was the same shade. She wore a small hue of pink lipstick which accentuated her mouth and easily drew attention to it, also matching the hairpieces and clothing.

It was plain to see this woman was different than any other Sesshoumaru ever encountered. The manner in addressing herself, the almost shunted look on her face - even hid from her eyes - and the adornment she wore. Especially the adornment; was it possible to find something of such beauty in all of Japan anymore?

The kimono was a furisode, a pure white and stark contrast to the hair resting over it. Stitched in silk along various places were sakura petals suspended as if being blown around by an unseen wind. The matching colors of hair ornaments and clothing were appropriate and the stitching seemed so real it looked very much like someone plucked them off the fabric and made a flower out of them. It was very beautiful, fitting for someone that had such a well-formed face and manners. The obi tied was in a simple butterfly form, the dominant color a pale green to mimic leaves, with red and green stitched in a wave-like fashion to represent air. The woman's outfit was a masterpiece itself and must've cost quite a bit.

The woman stood, still silent, and gave another deep bow at the waist, careful of the arm-width obi constraining her movements. Sesshoumaru wondered if she were ever going to speak, which didn't seem so bad an idea, until she looked him in the eye again.

"Good evening Jouryuu-san. I deeply apologize for having kept you waiting. It was rude of me to do so and I hope you can forgive me for my thoughtlessness."

Sesshoumaru merely nodded, not bothering with words. It was starting to get annoying just standing there when he knew this was not on the agenda for the night. Knowing that, Sesshoumaru was about to speak up and say he wasn't interested in a tryst, when the woman's soft voice beat him to it.

"If it would please you, I will be your companion for tonight. I am Gachi Kikyou and I welcome you to this humble hotel." Having chosen words and form carefully to show proper respect, Kikyou kept track of the seconds in her head to buy enough time for those with other chores. She didn't want to get into any kind of entertainment and have someone bring down the man's refreshments.

Sesshoumaru returned her third bow with a slight one of his own. "I am Jouryuu Sesshoumaru and I thank you for your kind words." It was the perfect time to say what was on his mind, so Sesshoumaru took a step toward the shorter woman before she spoke again. "I must be frank and say that I agreed on this venture for Yamakawa-shachou - I personally have no interest in being here with whatever 'services' you provide. I am sad to say you will be wasting your time."

Kikyou resisted a smile. Having been a geisha for so long, Kikyou was accustomed to the old ways of plutonic entertainment over any sexual agenda a man might have. Most expected to sleep with a woman when they came here, but when she was selected, many were intimidated and often found good talk and good music a fine exception. For people like Jouryuu-san of sophisticated personality and those with money, she often lavished them with proper praise and did an excellent job stroking the ego, which also seemed to be an accepted substitute.

But, this was not the old days of her youth where a man had to pay a good sum if he wanted other entertainment. With modern times brought changes and sacrifices to her reputation...and the reputation of geisha in general. Simply being high-priced entertainers to influential people didn't matter anymore and sharply declined in the past decades; money now equaled a way to get it to survive no matter what one had to do to earn it. This would be a somewhat easy job tonight.

She gave another bow. "I have more talents than physical pleasure Jouryuu-san. Of course, if you are willing to pay for those services I will not turn you down...but I have been a licensed geisha for at least fifteen years now. If you wish, I will entertain you in other ways."

A brow rose in Sesshoumaru's amount of surprise at hearing those words. A geisha? He wasn't aware any still existed, let alone the registration offices that once littered the country of Japan were around. If there were even a dozen in the Shinjuku district alone, no one would know of them, since none would dress like this out in public. It was mildly odd to do so with so much western influence crowding its way into the country.

Luck was on his side it seemed. Sesshoumaru nodded in agreement to the woman's last words. It would prove an even more appealing than lying with a woman at any rate. With his looks, Sesshoumaru could get any woman he wanted if he poured on the charm. Sadly, many of those around his age or younger in Tokyo were too crude for his tastes. It almost amused him to find someone such as this with grace, manners, etiquette, and impeccable dress. It would be interesting to find out how she would entertain him.

"I accept your offer Gachi-san. If you don't mind, I would like to sit down and make myself comfortable."

At those words, Kikyou immediately moved to the closet and grabbed a zabuton. She set it in the center of the room and waited until her client sat and made himself comfortable before going for a table to hold the refreshments that hadn't arrived yet. Kikyou bought herself a little more time, knowing they would be coming any minute, and grabbed a zabuton for herself. As she needlessly arranged it to look perfect, trying to give the impression she was being picky about its position, Kikyou glanced to her companion. "Is there a style of music you prefer Jouryuu-san? I excel in a number of instruments, if you care for me to play for you at any time tonight."

The woman wasn't talking about any kind of modern pieces, but that suited Sesshoumaru fine. Modern pop and western music were too loud and noisy and he avoided it whenever possible. White swished as he nodded. "I prefer traditional music and I listen to European classical as well."

Knowing the walls were thick enough to obscure certain things if more than one room was occupied, as they were tonight, Kikyou wasn't worried about anyone hearing and being interrupted. She mentally went through the songs on her shamisen and shakuhachi, pondering which ones to go choose.

A knock on the door finally came and Kikyou rose to answer it. She didn't bother with pretenses and kept in mind a lecture for later on keeping paying customers waiting and found Eri to be the target. Kikyou didn't mince words, sending an openly unhappy look to the girl before taking the tray off her hands. "Eri, please fetch me my shamisen from its place and bring it down as quickly as possible."

Eri nodded, a grim look on her face that she tried to hide in case the man inside saw. "Hai, Kikyou-sama." Knowing she was in for it later, Eri jogged to the top floor, not needing to be as careful to spill anything on the way down. Kikyou-sama's eyes appeared to be dead half the time, but when she put emotion into them - anger especially - she was a fierce person. Eri was feeling chastised already.

Since Eri shut the door before leaving, Kikyou turned for the low table, both hands gripping wooden handles. Everything was set on the table before Kikyou kneeled and started taking things off the tray. She arranged them for easy access to both and set the tray on the floor beside her. "I apologize for this having taken so long Jouryuu-san."

The tea was good. It was mixed well and Sesshoumaru sipped it slow to enjoy it...and because it was very hot. He sat back and let himself become acquainted with the presence of the hostess centimeters away. She soon asked him a few general questions of his life and of things in Tokyo to start their conversation, soon taking the reigns so skillfully Sesshoumaru rarely saw it coming that she talked more than him. He didn't mind, as she had some interesting opinions and mindsets of things in Japan and the world in general. She didn't talk that much, but the depth of what she said and how it was said made more of an impression.

A second knock soon sounded and Kikyou rose. She took the case from Eri wordlessly and again let the girl shut the door since her hands were full. The wood box rested on the floor before Kikyou kneeled and situated her furisode to keep from being wrinkled. "If you are a fan of traditional music, do you like the shamisen Jouryuu-san?"

Sesshoumaru pulled the cup away from his mouth and watched the Japanese guitar being assembled.(3) This was the first time he was able to do so and watched with muted interest. "I am, but I don't ever recall being played for in private."

Kikyou's lips twitched, stopping for the smallest of seconds to refill his cup and returning to her assembly. Hands moved automatically from many years of use of the same guitar. It was well kept and served her in so many performances. Only the strings were replaced a few times in the seventeen years of being in her occupancy.

Sesshoumaru set the glass on the table to keep the geisha from having to stop and refill his tea. He wanted to see the assemblage of one of Japan's old instruments from beginning to end. Yellow eyes took in the skill at putting the pieces together without pause or hesitation. He suddenly knew she was very able and familiar with the guitar, so knew he would get a good performance, even if he didn't expect it.

They had at least an hour before everyone else was tended to and things were over, so Kikyou let the eyes she felt remain as she kept brown trained on piecing the strings as she wanted them and lazily tuning it with a known ear. Slim fingers lightly plucked each of the three strings to get their tone. "Have you ever tried shamisen Jouryuu-san?"

"Can't say that I have. I've never played any traditional instruments before."

Kikyou gave the slightest of thoughtful hums. "It's a pity; playing is so relaxing and I imagine you'd be good at it with a little knowledge and practice." Happy with where everything was at, fingers ran through a quick strum to hear the final blend of tones and moved to grab the plectrum from its resting place.

Wondering what to play depended on her client. With a few quick looks, pretending to take notice of his teacup instead of his body, Kikyou took in the position of shoulders, wrinkles in the face, and absence of slouch to the spine. Jouryuu-san was tense from stress and / or work, so he wouldn't enjoy himself if he didn't relax any. Enjoyment meant money and in an instant, Kikyou knew the tone and speed of which to play. She mentally pictured half a dozen hand positions on the neck and started at one of them. She would start slow and on a high pitch, bringing it down to a deeper section gradually as if she were trying to unwind something. Kikyou felt a little like some relaxing music herself, so she would play according to how she felt and assume it was how her client was as well.

The woman was good and she didn't even appear to be trying. Sesshoumaru gave her a little respect for the effortless way one hand crawled around the neck and the other plucked the strings in synch. He never heard anything like this and he had a small cd collection he listened to on a somewhat regular basis during late office hours. Staring was rude, but Sesshoumaru couldn't help to watch the serene expression and her arms move. She sat with a minute slouch, legs together in the proper female sitting position. Not once did he see on her face or in her body that she was getting uncomfortable. It wasn't easy to sit on your ankles for very long, despite how much padding was between you and the floor.

So much time seemed to've passed by the time Kikyou finally ended the impromptu song. She rested the shamisen across her lap and moved to fill the errant teacup, seeing no steam rose from it. She started a little more small talk about the song and of things in general to gauge response to her playing before asking if Jouyruu-san wanted another piece. After filling his cup again, she picked up the guitar and positioned her hands. Kikyou stole another subtle look to find how the first piece worked and saw she was somewhat successful. Being slightly relaxed herself, Kikyou decided on a more fun set and positioned the plectrum.

The second song seemed shorter than the other, despite the amount of chords plucked. Sesshoumaru chalked it up to the different tempo and higher sounds. As the geisha rested the guitar on her lap again and filled his cup, making yet more talk, Sesshoumaru decided this trip wasn't as bad as he assumed. There was too much work to do to think of sex in his life and Sesshoumaru was so accustomed to celibacy, he was ready to deny this place even though it was paid for by Jalco. Thankfully, he could now say he enjoyed himself without lying.

Talk was a lot easier after her musical charms as Jouryuu-san interacted more with her and Kikyou could see his money was well spent. She always tried to please the customer because they would pay the written price for her services and it would be shameful not to give as good a performance as she could. Granted, every one was different because each person wasn't the same, but entertaining was easy to predict.

During a story she was telling, subtle noise came from outside the door and brown eyes looked to it. Kikyou immediately stopped talking, head bowing in apology at cutting the tale short, and stood to see what was going on. No one made a noise while clients occupied these rooms because there was no point in wandering around and it was highly distracting. If anything happened outside this room, it had to be the other men who came with Jouryuu-san. Not stooping this once, Kikyou gradually slid the door open and peeked her head out. The room in front of hers was gaping open, but the back of a plain sweater met her vision in the hallway.

Things were done. It was time to see her guest off and let him exit.

Quietly shutting the door, Kikyou returned to the man's side. She kneeled on the tatami and gave a brief koutou. "It has truly been a pleasure to spend time with you tonight Jouryuu-san, but I fear our time is over. Thank you for coming and I hope you enjoyed yourself. I enjoyed myself immensely in your company." It was true. Men nowadays seemed all the same and even through the times, Kikyou had encountered few like this man. Not only was his temperament and integrity different, he was a lot like her in some respects and it was nice to finally see.

He was an interesting man in obvious ways. Never had Kikyou seen white hair before, but this seemed to be a genetic thing instead of dye. A man of his caliber would never dye his hair, even on a bet, and his eyebrows were the same shade. Whatever happened was natural. The eyes were an almost amber or yellow color, which made Kikyou think of some form of albinism. Everyone in Japan had black or brown hair and black or brown eyes with few exceptions. This Jouryuu Sesshoumaru seemed to be one of the exceptions.

With a nod, Sesshoumaru gave a mildly deep bow to tell of his gratitude and satisfaction. "Thank you for your hospitality and attention Gachi-san. I did find the evening to my liking and thank you for being chosen to attend to me." Sesshoumaru left the remainder of his tea and stood, waiting until the geisha had as well and headed to the door before him. He started for it, crossing past only after she finished opening it for him. She didn't bother kneeling this time and left the door open after they exited.

There were three other doors open as well and Sesshoumaru spotted Inuyasha in the front area almost pacing in his usual impatient way. Ignoring the boorish manners of his younger brother, Sesshoumaru headed for the front and his things.

Kikyou followed, finding the others in the rooms, starting on getting things straightened. Her lips pressed together that the others hadn't come out to see their clients off, but they did have to scrub everything down for the next use, so she forgave them for that work ethic.

Kaede was already behind her desk, head bowed and writing something down. Kikyou stood in the edge of the hallway and watched everyone slip into coats and shoes. She listened to Kaede and one of the men go over numbers and an agreement, watching out of the corner of her eye a wad of bills being handed over.

Footsteps padded to a stop behind her and Kikyou looked over a shoulder to find Kagome almost peeking over it as she watched as well. Sango was suddenly next to her friend as the trio stood in silence.

"So which one did you have Kagome-chan?" Sango barely whispered.

Being so close, Kikyou heard and hoped no one else did. Before Kagome could answer, Kikyou cleared her throat subtly to warn of any further talk. She stole a look around her side at two pairs of brown eyes focused on her and narrowed her eyes a little in displeasure. "Remember your manners." She murmured.

"Thank you so much for coming." Kaede suddenly piped up.

That was their cue. Kikyou gave as low a bow as possible around her obi, feeling the others do the same. "Thank you very much for coming." They echoed in unison, remaining bowed until cold wind swished inside as the door was opened. Giving it a few seconds, Kikyou looked up to find the last man exiting, seeing the group was a lot younger than most who graced these walls with their presence, and watched a young man with hazel eyes shut the door behind him. He looked familiar and although they never met, Kikyou surmised that that man was the other Jouryuu-san.

**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner, so if these are not 100 correct, please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page and a dictionary to learn from. This spot dedicated to new vocabulary only.**

**Translations:** Koutou-Bow deeply **(Kikyou's is done from the floor)** - Kanzashi-Ornate hairpin, also ornaments clipped to the hair - Furisode-Long-sleeved kimono that go to the floor

Shamisen-Three-stringed Japanese guitar - Shakuhachi-Bamboo flute

**Having done much research, this story will be highly Japanese orientated and probably confusing at points. Numbers at the end of sentences will describe the whole sentence, while numbers next to a word will describe only that. If any of these are wrong, please correct me.**

1:Housing everywhere in Tokyo was scrunched together to fit maybe two people side-by-side in between the walkway.: Due to the size of the country, Japanese don't have yards or much space in between like people in larger countries.

2:It made him wonder how this place managed to survive so long, since most prostitution was supposed to be illegal in Japan.: Yes it is, but it is not enforced really strictly. http:www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/IES/japan.html#8 Section B talks about it more in detail.

3:Sesshoumaru pulled the cup away from his mouth and watched the Japanese guitar being assembled.: You think I could find ONE webpage that details assembly of a shamisen? Nope...so I did a vague explanation instead. Gomen.


	6. 6

Since her room was directly across and she didn't want to open the door the same time as Kikyou-sama, Kagome waited and watched until the vision of ancient geisha finished opening the door and rose to enter. As the door started sliding shut, Kagome paid attention to the body centimeters behind her and cocked her head to the hand lightly resting on her shoulder. "Sango-chan?"

It was an open invitation, despite her friend merely saying her name. Suddenly aware her hands were still shaking from nerves, Sango practically yanked the appendage away to hide her unsettled state and set her jaw. "You can go next Kagome-chan."

Knowing her friend well enough in some aspects, also being so close, Kagome heard the tightness in Sango-chan's voice and the minute unease in her words. The quiet bump of wood against wood snapped the pair to the matter at hand. Kagome took a deep breath, set her jaw, raised a shaking hand to tug on her tie, and walked to the door holding her latest partner. Instead of doing as her hostess, Kagome remained standing and tugged the wood and paper door open.

Most clients that came to this hotel were men almost twice Kagome's age or going on her father's age. Every time, doing a routine practically every man agreed to, Kagome was forced to swallow the partial disgust through knowledge of where her money came from and that she wouldn't easily survive anywhere else, especially by herself. Accompanying disgust came hidden fantasies which were normally lived out to fake a meeting and try to find pleasure. Some men were turned by a woman's enjoyment and were considerate in that aspect. Sometimes, she was lucky to encounter a man around her age or a tad younger than her. When that happened, it was a little easier to get through the time span they needed.

With the knowledge and experience of eight years, figuring businessmen and the age groups, Kagome assumed she would be dealing with someone twice her twenty-six years or more. There was no reason to think differently. So after sliding the door and hurrying in to shut it, Kagome received a shock when she let herself fully look at her companion.

He was young...at least younger than she expected. He stood next to the balcony doors he opened for some reason, allowing a cool breeze to ruffle mid-back length hair and bangs down to his nose. He must've wanted to see if there was a view; or perhaps he was bored. He turned to face her, quietly sliding the shouji shut in the process. She was given a modest view of his body, shrouded in a thick sweater and baggy blue jeans, but it didn't stop her imagination. By the width of his shoulders and slimness of both hip and waist, Kagome surmised the man worked out.

He seemed to realize she was staring and a raven brow rose. "And you are..."

Kagome hurriedly bowed as he snapped her out of the daze, fighting a blush. His voice was a nice tenor, but the indifference in it turned it flat and broke her from the embarrassment of blatantly appreciating someone she was going to have sex with for money. "Please forgive me for being late and so rude Jouryuu-san. I am Higurashi Kagome and I welcome you to our humble hotel."

It was on the tip of Inuyasha's tongue to tell this prostitute he wasn't interested and she could leave. It didn't take long to explore the room and once the balcony was opened, Inuyasha considered jumping the short distance and leaving. But walking in only his socks through cold, soppy night weather made him pause. He didn't want to leave his shoes and coat at the genkan, but waltzing down the hallway and have someone stop him with questions wasn't on his list either.

Inuyasha heard about soaplady hotels and knew a little of how they ran, especially since his only trip almost eight years ago. He eyed the outfit and was mildly relieved it was normal, but her curves were easy to pick out though. The skirt was pitch black and hid her legs down to the knee, but it was tight enough to mold the edges of her body. A long-sleeved, white shirt was tucked into the skirt and pulled tight enough to make her breasts stand out. A dark brown tie the color of her eyes rested in the valley, making her appear both professional and enticing. Tan stockings covered her from knee to toe. A medium-sized bun and unruly bangs finished off the picture. All she needed was a pair of glasses and she would fit the part of any standard secretary.

Inuyasha assumed because he arrived with a group of lawyers, this woman figured that dressing in secretary attire applied to everyone. He felt too dressed down compared to her in mere jeans and plain sweater. Sure clothes were clothes to him, but she was making him uncomfortable and Inuyasha didn't like it. She almost excluded professionalism and he was aware of his mindset and how childish he was being. Admitting it wasn't good for his pride.

He looked away when she finally rose from the bow, fighting a scowl and directing a hard stare to the unmoving tub of water. "Well? The old woman said you'd explain everything when you came. What exactly am I supposed to know that isn't easy to figure out?"

This man seemed to have a gruff exterior, but being with so many men, Kagome could see he was nervous and trying to cover it up. Fighting a smile, she stepped into the room, taking in his gaze and what it was on. "Ah...well Jouryuu-san, I can tell you what will go on if you prefer and you can correct me if it's something you'd rather not do...or I can show as I tell you."

A brow ticked at the subtle coyness in the soft, lilting tone. Inuyasha wasn't one to let people patronize him when he wasn't allowing it, but wanted this to go as painless as possible so he could get the hell out of here. A head jerkily nodded. "Fine - play show and tell then."

Kagome could tell this was going to be hard. This person wasn't cooperating or even caring one bit about being here. Kagome had to wonder just why he was here if he didn't want to be, but pushed the muse away. Personal thoughts only muddled the matter and made things complicated - that lesson was learned after the first month and Kagome never forgot it.

Mentally practicing things in her head since she didn't want to offend this person, Kagome mutely walked to the tub and kneeled to one side, flipping a switch which would heat the lukewarm water for soaking. The tubs were clean of course - it would be disgusting to let anyone soak in them otherwise - and were thoroughly sanitized once a week regardless of how many people used them. After every use was a generic wipe-down, but one day a week each girl rolled up their sleeves to keep the room as germ and dust free as possible.

A quiet hum told how fast the machine worked and Kagome stood, facing her customer. "All customers begin with a bath. If you don't mind, I will scrub your body for you and help you into the tub. You didn't order anything to drink, or I would serve you while you soaked - if you so wished." Kagome's muscles clenched to move her toward the man seeing as he seemed to take no initiative to move on his own. She was beginning to get nervous all over again, since he wasn't making this easy on her. "Is that acceptable to you Jouryuu-san?"

Why he needed a bath, Inuyasha didn't really know, but he supposed he wouldn't want to sleep with a woman who hadn't bathed that day either. It was stupid to have a woman scrub him down when he was a grown adult, but there was the sexual side to that he knew. Inuyasha gave a mute nod, trying to tell himself he didn't have to do any work here and to stick it out. Sesshoumaru owed him for this despite the words used to get him here.

He still stood there. Kagome bit back a sigh of mild frustration and slowly walked to him. He didn't announce his agreement, though he did nod, so Kagome had to take that as a yes. She stopped in front, offering a smile she hoped would calm him, and slowly raised hands to the bottom of his sweater.

She was bold, that much was certain. Inuyasha hadn't needed anyone to take his clothes off since he was a kid and couldn't even dress himself. It seemed pointless in his mind to have a woman do everything he could do on his own, so he watched her as she gradually shifted the material to his ribcage.

This was going to suck, but Kagome mentally grit her teeth. She gave another small smile and met hazel eyes for a brief second. "Would you please raise your arms for me Jouryuu-san?" There was no word as she was obeyed and Kagome got the sweater over the man's head at least, since the top of her head went to his shoulder.

She swallowed at seeing what he was hiding under that sweater of his and swore her heart skipped a beat. He DEFINITELY worked out; there was distinctness along bicep and shoulder muscles. His chest was no slouch and his stomach had a small washboard going on. Kagome's jaw clenched as she quickly moved to shell the fabric off his arms, praying he wasn't watching her admire his physique. It was better than the small potbelly and frail-looking body some men came in with. Despite the lack of personality she had to put up with, Kagome didn't figure this would go so bad after she got the man in the tub.

Hands undid the button to his jeans and slowly unzipped it. Inuyasha could've undressed faster than this and his hands were itching to push hers away so he could, but he strained as many muscles as possible to keep from doing so. This was going to tax his patience tonight big time and it already was.

Kagome's fingers snaked through a belt loop and slid them to the ground, sinking in the process as she did so. She didn't know how much 'magic' she had to do to get this man to loosen up - she could see how tense he was in the shoulders alone! - but she figured things would've started working by NOW. He wore western boxer shorts instead of ecchuufundoshi. Kagome wasn't that timid to stop if he was, but boxer shorts were easier to remove by a long shot. Staying in kneeling position, hands brushed up developed calf and thigh muscles to the waistband and snaked fingers inside. His skin was hot and Kagome fought a blush at thinking that, keeping her eyes averted as she slid down the remaining article of clothing to keep from seeing what would be right in front of her face. She would see plenty of THAT soon enough.

There was a small tile space just like at his apartment and Inuyasha stepped from the pool of clothing at his ankles to head for it. Not thinking about his total lack of undress, nakedness being no issue to him, Inuyasha faced the woman and watched her gather up his clothing and quickly fold it. There was enough room for him to stand in and Inuyasha wondered how the water wasn't going to splatter all over and ruin the tatami.

Steeling herself again with a deep breath, Kagome stood and faced her client, reminding herself again not to get worked up. That was easier said than done with a rather well toned, young man standing unabashed mere meters away. Kagome mentally ordered herself to move to him to get things started, reminding herself she would at least enjoy this later for all the grief now.

From a small cupboard in the side of the furo, Kagome grabbed a washcloth and green tea soap. "I hope you are not allergic to this, Jouryuu-san." Kagome held out the bar, something she knew was easily recognizable, and waited for him to say something.

Inuyasha stared at it for a second before grunting. "Keh, I'm not allergic to anything that I know of."

With a nod, Kagome stopped in front and looked to her tie. She didn't want to get soap and water on her outfit, but the shaking of her hands would show if she made to take it off. She reasoned she was being stupid with this and took a subtle deep breath for courage as fingers rose.

A raven brow rose. "You plan on squeezing in that tub with me or something?" Inuyasha asked, hazel eyes idly watching buttons separate. Some ample cleavage was shown and despite being mildly uninterested, he was also male and couldn't help himself at seeing what she had under that shirt.

Kagome smiled self-consciously, taking what he said as a joke, even if it seemed more sarcastic. "I'm just trying to keep my clothing from getting too dirty Jouryuu-san." She quietly answered, pulling the tails from the skirt. Kagome did a rough fold in spite of her words toward the garment's condition and put it a meter out of reach near his clothes. With her back turned, Kagome allowed her face to burn the barest of degrees as hands floated to the back near her spine and reached for the zipper.

Inuyasha looked on with minute appreciation as the zipper was totally down and the skirt slid from a set of enticing legs and hips. The woman bent a little to keep her fingers attached, thus giving a prim view of her backside and the movement of skin and muscle shifting around. She folded it and set it over the skirt, turning and showing off a virgin white underwear set. It was mostly cotton with a little lace lining on the edges. A garter-looking object rested on her hips, clips keeping her stockings from falling down. The woman was quite the little temptress, even if her hair was still pinned up. Inuyasha could only imagine how long it was or how she'd look if those sticks were ever taken out.

Kagome turned and without another word, grabbed the shower handle. Lifting it from the resting notch on the wall, she flicked the hot and cold water controls to get them as needed. She double-checked it with fingers to make sure it wasn't scalding and moved down to get his legs. Not wanting to pin his hair up and have him feel silly for it looking like hers, Kagome made sure to ignore his back to keep from getting any loose hairs in the tub. Making sure he was wet enough to soak the skin, Kagome doused the cloth before putting the handle back on the wall.

There was a sensation unlike any he felt as the cloth glided easily whilst covered in soap. This was different than washing himself; the unexpectedness of where that hand would move next made his nerve endings jump when they came into contact. Much of the thoughts and annoyances slowly detached and melted away in his mind. As seconds ticked by, Inuyasha merely stood and watched cloth and woman work in absentee instead of guardedness.

All was done in silence, save for the sound of Kagome working and barely discernable breathing. Though she felt eyes on her every second, the job at hand - no pun intended - was easier to focus on as she watched for bare skin that needed to be lathered. In her mind, Kagome unwound the stress by giving the man a good washing. In no time, she finished his legs and shifted to his thighs, unable to keep her gaze innocently diverted. Mild unease rose again, but she bit the inside of her lip and shifted from sitting to kneeling stance again, getting up at the lap area to scrub front and back.

It finally hit his brain exactly what was going on, what he was here for, his lack of undress, what this woman was doing, and where her face was. Irritation and defiance to his stupid older brother effortlessly clouded Inuyasha's mind, but the more he stood with this sensation bombarding him, the more his mind blanked from the troubles prior to this. His jaw clenched a little as a split second hit somewhere in the pit of his stomach came quite suddenly and quite rapidly.

Kagome almost jumped at the unexpected, minute movement next to her but caught herself just in time. She fought a smile and feigned ignorance at seeing her ministrations taking hold, carefully working around the man's organs, and standing to get his stomach. Now allowed to stare for appearance of doing a thorough job, Kagome easily felt hard muscle under cloth and grit her teeth. She took in the detail of all chest muscles, appreciating them by giving them attention with her hands - the only time she would be able to have her way.

This was, after all, all about his desire and satisfaction for it's what he came to buy. She surmised he wasn't the type of guy to let her take charge in the bed or be very touchy, not like she did that much anyway. It was part of her personality and it was one reason why men chose her - she had a nice body and face and enough personality in the beginning to turn men on.

She was a woman though, a woman who felt just as men did. Even though this was about him and his desire, Kagome was feeling enough just being in front of a toned, naked man. It was a small trial just keeping her professional cool and acting as if she weren't turned on by the opposite sex.

After getting both arms, Kagome dropped the washcloth and turned the shower handle back on, adjusting the temperature and spraying his chest. Brown eyes followed the movement of soap as it traveled to the ground and the thin stream contour to his body. Making sure as much residue was off as possible; Kagome nodded and replaced the handle. A hand quickly stuck in the tub to make sure it heated as she wanted, satisfied it had. "All finished Jouryuu-san. Douzo."

He looked at that slim, dripping hand before turning and stepping over the near waist-high wall. The water was almost too hot for his tastes, but Inuyasha wasn't going to say anything about it and be a wuss. To adjust, he lowered slowly to keep from shocking his system or burning himself.

Kagome waited until he was situated and still before turning for the next task. He was fine for however long he felt, but since he wanted her to 'show and tell' as he put it, she would do as he wished. "Jouryuu-san, please let me know when you are ready to get out. If you don't mind, I will get things set up while you enjoy the furo."

He gave a faint nod, hot water doing wonders on his muscles and stress levels. The sensation during the wash died down a little, but simmered enough to be directed in his curiosity at the half-naked woman who walked to the closet on the other side of the room.

There wasn't enough space in the tub to stretch out and get comfortable, but Inuyasha made due and took in his companion as she opened the door and gathered a folded object from inside. His brows twitched in wonder at what it was, but she would show him soon enough.

She seemed not cut out for this type of life. He observed her movements and facial expressions as she lay out and hooked up some kind of futon. Of course, what kind of person would want to do something this lowbrow in the first place? He almost pondered what could've happened to throw her into this hotel, but disregarded it. She had a healthy skin tone, sufficient weight - and nice curves to boot, no signs of mistreatment, and didn't seem mentally ill. If there was any reason to worry over a complete stranger, he would've done so already, but there was no point in getting himself involved like that when she didn't seem to need it.

The futon had a motorized air pump that filled faster than Kagome anticipated. Or was that because, once this mattress was operational and ready to be used, the real job would have to begin? Kagome harshly swallowed at imagining it, letting thick bangs hide her eyes and any emotion that could be seen. A small tingle ran through her at the thought of being with this man, who wouldn't be as bad as the others, and excitement quickened the reaction of her body to make it ready.

Her insides almost burned. They heated in certain places, heart pumping faster and circulating the blood it scorched. Her tongue darted out, that tiny action bringing her back to the outside quiet and Kagome withdrew a little into herself. She was getting carried away and that wasn't a good idea.

There wasn't much to do until Jouryuu-san gave his consent and wanted out. Feeling suddenly more exposed and naked than her underwear, Kagome darted a glance to the other side, finding hazel eyes practically burning at her. Her face warmed and Kagome shifted to the pump, turning it off and moving to unplug it. She still felt the center of attention, but there was nothing to do about that. She was here to be ogled, even by someone like him. Sadly enough, her opinion on that mattered very little.

That did nothing to help the frenzy her body was easily working itself into and Kagome quickly folded the pump and stood to put it away. As much as part of her didn't want to, she would prefer to do something with this anxious energy than stand useless and wait around. The last, worst thing she could do was stand next to the man and tap her foot - even if it would help her do something as she killed time. This was why Kagome wished she could play the shakuhachi and shamisen like Kikyou-sama could. Idle time wasn't really her thing...not in situations like this that demanded a lot of patience and muted behavior. She considered herself par for what this demanded, but drawing it out like this quickly taxed her.

For lack of anything better to do, Kagome shut the sliding door and kneeled on the tatami portion next to the furo. She looked up to find hazel eyes and offered a small smile. "Please enjoy yourself and let me know when you are ready to get out Jouryuu-san." Kagome's head tilted in a bow and remained that way, hands in her lap with legs under her.

Inuyasha stared at scruffy bangs, eyes running up and down exposed skin. He steeped in beginning position for what seemed minutes before suddenly moving and resting arms on the end, his chin over hot skin. "So...what do you intend on doing the second I get out of this tub?"

Kagome wasn't expecting talk and her head jerked up in surprise. It showed for a second before she quickly adjusted and paid attention to the absently curious pair of eyes. The question seemed humorous and teasing, but the man didn't look like it. Kagome's head lowered demurely, staring at the edge of the mat. "Whatever you would like Jouryuu-san."

There was that subtly coy tone again. Inuyasha wasn't satisfied with a vague answer meant to entice him - why the hell couldn't she just be straight up anyway? - and remained as he was. "From what I heard from the old woman, you were to explain things to me. You have so far, so why don't you just give me a rundown of what happens next? Is there something besides the obvious that I need to be made aware of?"

Something about his even tone aggravated her. Why did he care so much? Why the hell couldn't he just use his imagination? Hadn't this man ever slept with another woman before? Kagome carefully kept her head down and hands lax to keep the emotions from them. Showing her annoyance was only trouble. "After you get out of the tub Jouryuu-san, I'll dry you off and lead you to the futon. After that, whether you would like me to be at your mercy or not is your decision."

Inuyasha gave an elusive hum and settled back. He watched her for a little more before standing. "Alright then. Dry me off."

Kagome instantly looked up and her jaw clenched at what her eyes instantly gravitated to. Her head bowed as she stood, eyes a little wide at how audacious she just was. Course, this man probably walked around naked all the time in his home - he probably did it in front of his own mother! She shouldn't be too disturbed at his lack of dignity - she was fighting shyness again herself - for he was a man after all. Men didn't care too much about nudity and she knew that from many instances in these rooms.

A hand grabbed a towel from the cupboard and walked to the tile. She held a hand out in case the tiles were slippery and was thankful it was at least taken. Hands ran over his skin, gliding the fabric a little less skillful than the washcloth, but feeling everything just the same.

The sensation was back again; though it muted with something he couldn't feel her hands quite so much. His jaw clenched against it as hazel eyes watched them float around his chest and arms, leaving his legs for last. Again, it occurred to him that a rather attractive, half-naked woman's head was right in front of his lap and another low blow attacked him.

Kagome thankfully missed the second twitch, turning to fold the towel and setting it next to the tatami after working his ankles. She stood and turned to him, frozen in place as her eyes met his.

They were hooded with desire, eyeing her features as if searching for something. Adrenaline skipped her heart faster and Kagome swallowed, trying to will herself to move and stop the shaking of her hands. It felt like a while before she could find her tongue, taking a step back after her muscles clenched a few times. "J - Jouryuu-san...douzo." A hand swept to the futon behind.

Inuyasha nodded, taking a small step. He didn't miss the barely noticeable jerk in her eyes as they moved from the ground to him and back. They almost performed a dance in the way he slowly walked forward and she back. She stopped it upon gently bumping into rubber. "So?"

Why he was speaking was beyond her, but Kagome searched for her voice. Right about now was where her thought process and detached professionalism shut down, giving way to be a doll for men to play with. No speaking was needed the second they reached the bed, so it confused her that he was still going. "Well, if you would, please sit down Jouryuu-san. If you wish, things can be taken slow or we can go right to it."

He didn't know the full extent of what his presence was doing on her nerves, so when he sat and leaned on his elbows, legs bent enough to barely cover anything, looking up at her with small interest and expectancy, Kagome's heart rushed faster. It surely skipped a beat this time and she kneeled by him to use her hands and hide the shaking which wouldn't quit. Every time she thought she could calm herself down, this man did or said something that flushed her in some way. How could he do it so easily? Sure he was good-looking and young…well built and definitely not lacking in OTHER areas...

Oh, who was she kidding? Those were the exact reasons he was flustering her!

It almost occurred to Kagome that she might be too nervous to go through with this, but told herself not only had she gone too far to back out of this, she wasn't ALLOWED to back out of this. This man paid for her and not only would he enjoy himself with her, she was sure to enjoy herself with him.

She deemed the time for talk over now. There wasn't going to be any more explanation that he couldn't easily deduce. Besides, she wouldn't be able to answer them in the next few minutes anyway. Hopefully, he would see no more need to find anything to ask. If she was lucky, he would be too mindless to form anything.

His head jerked before he could catch it; a twitch that developed as hands and lips suddenly met with a very sensitive part of his body. Inuyasha's hands clenched as feelings assaulted him. His breathing rapidly increased, eyes squeezed shut at the sheer wave he was experiencing. It wasn't like this was his first time ever encountering sex, but it'd been so long it might as well have been. Not only had it been a while, this woman was very good at her job.

It didn't take long for either of them to be ready. The fantasies Kagome held away came free, the pleasure she wanted to bestow on the one she loved in any fashion always the main one. With so much knowledge of sex, these kinds of things didn't disgust her as long as she thought of them in the right light. Lewd acts weren't really too horrible to think of or bear if she did it for the one she loved more than anything in the world. She knew there was such a thing as deep love and the only way to express it was to please the other in ways like this. She had been there before, had considered such things while being so acutely in love and kept them for her wedding day. As much as it pained her to think of them at a time like this - comparing them to the shame she was putting herself through right now - it helped her to get past everything.

He couldn't take it any longer. The need to feel and touch was driving him crazy and his hands wouldn't stop twitching with the need to move and be used. Faster than the speed he knew he possessed, Inuyasha grasped thin shoulders and turned her around. Faint clacking sounds came as the motion withdrew chopsticks not meant for such violent shifting. Her hair barely unwound though and mostly remained in the bun as he pressed against her on the mat, rubbing himself against her curves and letting his hands touch her.

Her skin was on fire; the suddenness of his actions startling and exciting her all at once. Her senses were already cloudy at the shakuhachi she was interrupted on, and the feel of his muscles against her skin was driving her nerve endings mad. The breath hitched in her throat at the familiar feel against her thighs, rubbing against her underwear almost insistently. His hands were rough, calloused from hard work of some kind, and clumsy as they scanned her.

"Take the rest of your things off." He gruffly ordered, lips sucking on her neck.

That would require her to sit up and use her hands...two things which were quite impossible at the moment. He was practically draped over her and her limbs weren't going to respond that simply. Not wanting to make him angry - as aroused men easily could be - she gently pushed him away to sit up and a hand easily flicked the clasp off her bra. Her bun stayed quite well and barely came apart, given that her hair was wetted upon forming it to help keep it together as she wedged the sticks through it.

Before she could even shift to get the bottom half off, his lips and hands were on her again. He had no real clue what he was doing and she could see he needed practice badly. Most of it felt nice and she was forced to pause by letting him continue. She eventually shifted, hands at the hem, and changed to kneeling to remove the last garment needed to end the foreplay.

He barely gave her a chance to set the underwear down before he snatched a wrist and yanked her to him. One arm wrapped around her waist and pressed their chests together, the other hand snaking down in between her legs. She was ready and he wasted no time; she was roughly pushed to the mat and her legs nudged open.

Her head jerked back as he pushed against her, body shuddering as he pushed again. A whimper wrenched from her as he didn't bother going slow, moving fast and driving her senses hard. Hands gravitated despite her better judgment and latched onto his shoulders, clutching him as a lifeline. His arms rested on either side of her head for bad support.

It seemed over all too quick, or maybe she was just lost in the feelings. Eyes that shut the moment he entered her snapped open as her muscles clenched and she sharply inhaled. He never saw the look of ecstasy on her features with his face buried in her neck, body spasming soon after at feeling her around him and joined her.

He lingered on her, in her, against her while trying to catch his breath. It was...incredible to feel all that again and the high point in his blood was still boiling as minute twitches to his muscles kept his high from lowering. She also smelled nice, even over the scent of sex, and Inuyasha couldn't believe he didn't notice the fragrance of her shampoo with his nose practically shoved in her hair.

He slowly sat back and rested hands on knees, idly staring at her quivering stomach as she also tried to get her breath back. She sat up as well, a hand floating to the remainder of her hair, untwisting it and finally showing him what she kept hidden.

It was long, practically reaching to the mat underneath. Tendrils fell over her shoulders and curled around a breast, drawing his attention. Not a word was exchanged as she gave a faint smile and stood, handing him his clothes with a small bow. Taking it as his cue to exit, Inuyasha stood and slipped into boxers and jeans, hearing clothing slide over flesh as she followed his example. He didn't know what he was supposed to do or say now, wondering if there was something left. He was uncomfortable in the silence and turned away as if to ignore it.

Her heart was still pounding in time with the feelings coursing through her, but Kagome contained her composure enough to give her attention. "Jouryuu-san...if there is nothing else you wish for, you are free to go." She quietly reported.

His head flicked in her direction, eyeing her at the soft tone. She was different - perhaps cowed? - but given the out, Inuyasha took it and headed for the doors. He paused in the doorway, words of unknown on his tongue. He felt he needed to say something, but mentally shook his head and stepped past the threshold, giving a small look back when she didn't follow to walk him out. It was just as well, he knew the way and the hallway wasn't that long - he wouldn't want to see her face after such a banal act.

It was only good manners and also part of her job to walk a customer to the door and see him out, but Kagome gradually moved to the tiles to wipe them down. Her mind was in its normal fog and she didn't notice the door across hers gaping open. Hands worked on autopilot as she was left empty physically and emotionally - as always - and wiped the residue off. So much worry, tension, and emotion flooded her throughout however long she was in here and now it was gone. It was always a relief to be done with these things, but to feel guilty pleasure and enjoy it whether by fantasy or not reminded her of how jaded she had become. The kind of thing a woman looked forward to, making love with the one they faithfully married, she turned into a trite encounter with anyone willing to pay.

She had unhooked the air mattress and let it deflate when shuffling sounded and reached her brain. She looked up in time to see a colorful obi pass and knew it would be good to leave the room and stand with Kikyou-sama and whoever else was already out there. It wouldn't do for the hotel's reputation if she didn't present a respectable picture...not to mention she didn't want a lecture later by the geisha.

Inuyasha finished the buttons on his coat, watching the old woman take up residence at her desk and writing a few things down. Sesshoumaru made for his things; Inuyasha avidly avoided eye contact, not wanting to let anything show on his face that he enjoyed himself well enough under the circumstances. Miroku's door slid open and the man practically waltzed from the room with a satisfied grin. Hazel rolled as the man stopped next to him, pausing his short fidgeting, and throwing an arm over a shoulder. Jalco's president was fixing his tie as he and the old woman agreed on numbers.

Nearly indiscernible padding met his ears and Inuyasha's gaze flicked to the hallway. Along with a really well dressed, beautiful woman - although eerily familiar for some reason - stopped the woman he slept with, along with another. He eyed shunted brown for a second before diverting his gaze. He purposely ignored her to avoid awkwardness as everyone finished getting ready to head outside.

Kagome was glad they were leaving. She wanted to finish cleaning and straightening the room to get a bath before going to bed. It was late and she was tired in more ways than one.

"So which one did you have Kagome-chan?"

Kagome looked to her best friend, blinking and hoping no one heard that. Kikyou-sama did for the woman cleared her throat as subtly as possible. "Remember your manners."

"Thank you so much for coming." Kaede suddenly piped up.

That was their cue. Kagome gave as low a bow as possible while standing behind Kikyou-sama and Sango-chan just as close. "Thank you very much for coming." They echoed in unison, remaining bowed until cold wind swished inside as the door was opened. Kagome was unable to look up, letting cowardice keep her bow down until the door swished shut and all male presence was gone for the night.

**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner, so if these are not 100 correct, please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page and a dictionary to learn from. This spot dedicated to new vocabulary only.**

**Translations:** Ecchuufundoshi-String loincloth or G-string - Douzo-Please/kindly/by all means - Shakuhachi-Oral sex/fellatio


	7. 7

Brown eyes followed her friend until the door was closed. In the instant of that quiet clack, a sense of dread and revelation hit Sango like a ton of bricks. One, she now had to get to work and two, she was seriously going to get docked if she kept her customer waiting any longer than she had.

With a quiet sigh, brown hardened in resolve as she fidgeted with a link chain around her stomach and stepped forward, gaze pinned to the closed door. The man ordered a drink, so hopefully the others would get to it before she got too anything extreme and they got more than an eyeful. The last thing they needed was for one of the delivery girls to be requested to join. Sango did NOT work with anyone else because her personality was so radical from any of theirs it wouldn't work out.

Taking a deep breath, a hand floated to the handle and gripped it harder than necessary as she slid the door open. Using the brim of the hat she was wearing to keep her eyes from seeing anything, Sango stepped in and shut the door behind her. Giving a polite bow upon turning to face the man, she couldn't help the curiosity at who chose her this time and subtly looked up enough to see if she could discern the type of pants. Figuring men out by their style of dress was easy and Sango was mildly surprised when she spotted a pair of regular blue jeans instead of work slacks.

"Forgive me for being so terribly rude and making you wait Enzen-san. My name is Tsuyoi Sango and I welcome you to this hotel." She started, trying to sound extremely apologetic. It was a mild trial to keep sarcasm out of her voice. Sango had little respect for men like this - how disgusting and shameful could one man be to have sex with someone near a daughter's age? It made Sango's skin crawl to think of it...having to tolerate on a mildly regular basis and experiencing the guilty pleasure of a man.

"Oh? I must've been a good boy to've got such a beautiful lady."

Sango blinked in minute surprise, head rising at the charming tenor voice. It was much too young and she locked eyes with someone around her age and brown widened. She was so stupefied she looked the man directly in the eyes, forgetting how rude it was to stare as blatantly as she was doing.

Miroku put on one of his more charming grins at getting a good look at the face. Shameless to say, the body was the first thing that caught his eye the second the door opened. But who could blame him? Tight, low-cut khakis cargo pants that rode so low on her hips, not even a belt was going to keep those things up. A metal-looking chain was wrapped around her waist, dangling quite enticingly below the navel. As if he wasn't given enough of a leeway to drool outrageously, she had to go and wear a shirt that exposed more of her stomach and cleavage than was decent for any non-married woman. The shirt was pink, which didn't look too bad, and was accented by eyeliner and lip-gloss, but oddly enough was long-sleeved. It was nice for cold weather, even if the hemlines were unrealistic. A purple chocker and strange-looking floppy hat with loose, waist-length hair made up the picture. It wasn't the most matching of outfits, but Miroku was too busy ogling the cleavage to give a rat's ass.(1)

Sango snapped out of it when those lips twitched higher and looked away. She mentally berated herself for getting so interested in the man's age, even if this would be as little less repulsive than normal. Someone around her age was easier on the conscience. Of course she had some men way younger than her father, but hands down they were never this handsome.

Snapping herself to action and from thought, Sango righted and turned for the tub against the wall. She was almost angry at herself at feeling her face slightly warm. "If you wouldn't mind waiting a few seconds Enzen-san, I will have your bath warmed up and then I will get you situated to soak for however long you wish."

A raven brow rose as eyes gravitated to the nice little rear presented as she kneeled and worked with an electrical control to heat the water. The other brow rose in appreciation as she stood and turned. His gaze quickly whipped to her face as she slowly walked to him and stopped. He met her eyes in question, seeing she wanted to say something, and patiently waited with interest.

Sango tried a second time to ask if he wanted her to disrobe him, but froze. Her heart was pounding enough at the thought of performing a task he could've easily done himself. She hated herself for being so nervous - it happened every time without fail - and mentally berated herself to calm down, but Sango had to admit he was probably the best specimen of man she'd ever have to be with. Knowing that made things bad enough because she would touch him like she did the others.

Being as she was with her personality, Sango knew her brazen attitude was what turned men on, so she didn't feel too daring as fingers touched the tiny excess at the top of his jeans and tugged a little without asking. She didn't know what kind of job he had to be wearing jeans, but that and the black turtleneck did suit him. The lack of light hid everything on his torso and arms, but the gauntness of his face told her he wasn't covering anything.

She gave a little coy smile and looked to her hands, also hiding her face in the process. That hat was coming in handy more than she thought. "If you don't mind Enzen-san, I can get rid of these clothes for you and help you get ready for the bath."

Unable to look over her head - how was it a woman could get so tall without shoes? - Miroku craned his head around her shoulder to check out the area. It looked tiny, but still effective, and he eyed the handle against the wall. A smile peeked. "I am at your mercy - feel free to do whatever you like Tsuyoi-san."

Sango grit her teeth at the saccharine voice, but pasted on a smile and tugged the hem from his jeans. Why he was outrageously flirting was beyond her since he had no reason to try and be cute, but Sango began to ignore it as she concentrated with getting the turtleneck off his head.

The first thing she spied was a nicely developed chest, arms, and stomach and a stared. Swallowing despite herself, Sango swore her heart rate just increased. Mentally shaking her head, she gathered the bundle in her arms and roughly folded it. Dropping it a meter away, she immediately went for the buckle and in no time had the button separated and the zipper down.

Miroku was mildly astonished at the efficiency and almost aggressive air the woman gave off. She certainly didn't play around with formalities and was already tugging his jeans to the ground. Sad to say, that almost turned him on worse than some of the women he'd been with and it wasn't easy to hide that. He stepped from the legs as she helped him from them and tried to think of more plutonic things with her kneeling in front of him. As quickly as he was getting excited, Miroku had to pace himself if he wanted to keep from jumping her in the furo. She was a real beauty; this was going to be difficult.

Sango folded the pants and put them next to the top, still kneeling. She was trying to take calm breaths to keep from looking up or blushing at all; there was no point in trying to ruin her presentation or sudden reputation with this man. But mental images were all too easy to concoct with as many years as she'd been doing this and already Sango's mind was picturing her current customer.

Gritting teeth, Sango tried to keep self-anger from her face and eyes as fingers reached up and slid boxers off slim hips. It seemed she possessed no shame for watching the waistband slide from its beginning to ending position, but Sango put it out of her mind as if numbing herself to it. She folded the underwear and finished the pile, standing and meeting his eyes.

Miroku liked this woman, flat out liked her. Not only was she a bishoujo to rival some classic beauties, but her way of handling things wasn't meek or quiet in the least. He had a feeling this was the way she was everyday; being so forward in handling things. It was so different and refreshing than half of the women he encountered in his life; so many he'd met were proper and quiet, still dominated by the male rules of society. This person seemed on a different level and didn't care about it.

This would DEFINITELY be a fun time. Something told him he didn't need to worry about anything; this woman would either provide for him or they'd find some unspoken mutual agreement. Not that sleeping with a woman wasn't fun and pleasurable enough, but this was going to be an experience. Soaplady hotels weren't new to Miroku, but this was more traditional than he'd ever seen the gaudy setups and it was uplifting.

Sango started taking baby steps to the bathing area, knowing he'd follow. As much as she didn't want to look him in the eye, Sango sure didn't want to look anywhere else and watch anything move that would be moving later. She kept all emotion from her face except the barest of smiles meant to tease and draw. Stopping when a heel thumped against the side, she ignored it and dipped a hand in the water, losing his vision as it shot down to her chest. Sango continued to keep from showing anything as she tested the water, paying more attention it and trying to remind herself she was getting paid good money to do this.

There were only a few options right now. Sango didn't want to start giving the man a scrub down in case someone knocked with the sake, but she couldn't just let him sit there with the breeze keeping him company. She didn't want to disrobe in case she needed to leave the room either because she wasn't going to let anyone inside right now. This was so frustrating! Why couldn't those twins have hurried faster?

There was no helping it. An arm swept to the tile area in invitation. "Enzen-san, if you will please step to the wash section, I will get you scrubbed for the furo."

A brow raised as mental pictures swarmed Miroku's head. Teeth grit to try and compose the sudden racing of his blood. This was going to be harder than he thought! But he obeyed and watched as the temptress reached for the shower handle and paused.

She had to get started. Sango would have to deal if someone else was in the hallway for some reason. This was one of her favorite working outfits and she didn't want it stained with soap or shrunk because it got water on it without proper care. Heaving a mental sigh, another flirtatious smile popped up to confuse him. "If you will give me a second Enzen-san...I don't want to get my clothing dirty."

Before Miroku could ask what she was going on about, a hand grasped the bill to her hat and dropped it on the floor behind her. He took in straight-cut bangs and hair. It was too nice to keep topped with a hat, but Miroku had no time to admire the mass because hands grabbed the high hemline of her shirt and pulled it over her head. It was safe to say he blatantly stared and felt a twitch somewhere in the lower region of his body. The bra was black lace and skimpy. Miroku's mouth almost watered at the nice way it perked her breasts and accentuated mildly tanned skin.

Sango shook her hair out from the neckline and folded the shirt, setting it and the hat a little farther back in case water splattered. There was no guessing needed to know she had full attention and would be getting more as soon as she unzipped the khakis. The chain should be fine being worn through the night - she wore it before and skin never caught on the links, being plastic and all - so she didn't worry about that.

Hands flipped the button opened and took the short zipper down. Sango shrugged out of the constricting mass, thankful that was off at least. The air felt good to cool her down, refresh her memory to get back on track, and regain control of herself.

It was...a THONG. An even skimpier black lace that had to be the other half to the bra. Miroku harshly swallowed and gave up thinking plutonic thoughts to save his excitement for later. The fact that he could basically see her ass - and it was a damn nice one at that! - and extremely low elastic to keep from being seen over her pants made him want to have her pace the room for him while he soaked. Who needed sex? He could just enjoy himself all night watching her curves shift and blissfully torture himself!

After a quick fold and drop by the shirt, Sango stopped in front again and met eyes that were sweeping up and down her front at a few miles an hour and fought not to grin. Men were so easy - show them a small piece of skin and lingerie and they were putty. Brown eyes curiously floated down for the barest of seconds, subtly covered up as she shifted for the furo.

Well...not entirely putty.

Sango quickly kneeled, snatching a washcloth and standard green tea soap from a small cubbyhole to set on the edge for a second. The mane went in a high ponytail to keep mostly out of the way and from getting wet before Sango finally reached for the handle. Turning it on and adjusting the temperature, she sprayed it all over to soak the skin and get it ready for soaping. Grabbing the cloth and wetting it, Sango replaced the handle and got a lather going.

She could easily hear his breathing and its acceleration as she first applied the soap to his chest. Purposely ignoring his eyes and watching her work, Sango tried to keep from looking at him as she got arms, chest, and back. He didn't say a word the entire time, not even when she got down to his lap and legs. Of course, he didn't need to say anything... his body was giving away enough clues for her to discern on her own.

If he kept this up, Sango didn't know if he could fit in the furo comfortably.

His hands kept twitching and it was a fight to still and keep them at his sides. Miroku wanted one of two things; purposely hide them behind his back or grasp her hair and make her do something he was already picturing in his head to his head. He wondered what would occur after his soak and should've asked before things started, but the second her shirt went over her head, his common sense shot to hell.

It seemed both forever and too quick since she finally got the remainder of his ankles. Sango stood with eyes intentionally diverted as she let the cloth rest on the tiles for washing later and grabbed the handle. Resetting the temperature, she liberally splashed his body again to clean all residue off. It took a while for her satisfaction, but Sango turned off the shower and put the handle back. Only looking his chest over, Sango nodded. "Would you like some help into the furo Enzen-san?"

Miroku blinked at her voice, using it to leave the feelings of his body on hold and return to the world around him. A mild smile popped up as dark eyes flitted to his left. "I think I can manage, thank you."

Sango nodded and stepped back. If he went through his soak without any sake, Sango was going to tell Kikyou-sama about this. She avidly watched him climb in to make sure he didn't slip - even if her eyes shifted to his rear and back muscles a little more than necessary. The only thing to do was set up the futon while he sat, other than serve him as she was supposed to be doing.

Not having things at her disposal when needed grated on Sango's nerves. She knew it took a bit to heat up sake and safely carry it all those flights of stairs, but how much time passed already?(2) Gritting her teeth, Sango flashed a smile and gave a slight bow. "I will leave you to your bath Enzen-san while I set up the futon." Not giving him time to give her permission - like she even needed it - Sango turned and walked for the closet.

Miroku was given a rather prime, yummy view of her pacing the few steps across the room and quietly shifted his legs in the furo. His hands twitched again and he wrapped them around the edge of the furo to keep them from disappearing under the water. He ached now and was getting desperate to touch himself or her. He couldn't take eyes off the delectable body pulling out some kind of flat pad and watched its setup in half curiosity, half anticipation. If she was trying to do this to him on purpose, there would be retribution to pay when he finally got what he came for. Miroku was going to make her suffer as he was and he was going to enjoy watching her moan.

Sango finished hooking up the hose and the small hum started filling air into the rubber mass. It wasn't fair that it was so heavy without air in it, but there was no other way to put it away otherwise. She remained kneeling and attention on the bed's progress, hearing picking up quiet shifting of water along the edge of the tub and tried to ignore the eyes she felt.

She was almost ready to shut off the air machine when a quiet tap sounded. Sango resisted clenching her teeth, but immediately stood. She cast a glance to the customer who was openly watching the door with a raised brow and stopped close to him to get his attention off it. "If you will forgive the rudeness Enzen-san...I believe the sake you ordered earlier is here. Please excuse its late arrival."

Miroku forgot all about his drink with present company taunting and testing him. He merely nodded, eyes a few hundred centimeters south of her face as he fixed on the mounds floating from her bow.

There were no robes in this room - she was going to have that changed for emergencies like this, despite what Kikyou-sama might say later - and Sango felt highly conscious of her state of undress as she gripped the door and peeked it open. Her head stuck out of the room, trying to shield her body on the off chance that someone other than residents would be around, and met Yuka's eyes.

"Here's your order for Enzen-san." She whispered, holding up a tray with both hands.

Brown eyes perceptively narrowed. "Osoi yo!" Sango hissed, hoping to the gods she wasn't heard inside. She cast a quick glance either way down the simple area before daring to open the door further and bring the tray in.

Throughout the whole exchange, Miroku's eyes remained glued to the curve of her backside, studying the connection of thigh and rear almost critically. He practically licked his lips and swallowed hard a few times as she stepped inside and the door for her shut without another word.

Sango was fuming and took a quick breath to calm as she kneeled by the tub and focused on pouring the first cup. There was no helping it and now that she had the final piece, she could get this over with so the night could be over.

She righted and held up the cup to keep from burning herself. "Please excuse the tardiness Enzen-san. Douzo."

Forcing yet even more mental pictures from his head, Miroku shifted and took the small cup specifically made for sake and held it to his lips. He tested the heat first, finding it rather hot - was there any other way to have sake?(3) - but so was the water he was in so he gave it a go and tossed the whole amount back. The heat was almost too much, so he subtly inhaled through his mouth to cool it and his throat, feeling the fuzzy tingle of it wash over his body. The fact that his heart was pounding faster due to the high temperature didn't help and Miroku blinked against the almost instant taint to his body.

Sango filled up the glass a few more times, mildly amazing that he was able to take the whole cup in one drink. She suddenly realized his tolerance was somewhat high, which she assumed he must drink somewhat regularly. He had almost half a dozen before slowing and Sango put herself on guard for any kind of drunken behavior that might turn violent. She would be able to handle it - they were trained for that kind of thing after all - but hoped it would never happen and mentally crossed her fingers.

As much as Miroku wanted to finish the bottle, he was never able to do so by himself and turned to the creature almost avidly eyeing him. "Tsuyoi-san..." He almost slurred, giving a charming smile. "Go ahead and pour yourself a cup."

Sango blinked, staring at the extended offering. Her lips thinned the barest of degrees, knowing it was a bad idea to drink anything and lose control of the situation. She never wanted to go as wild as some men could when they were inebriated. Rarely did she drink, the occasional birthday party or important festival were exceptions. This meant her tolerance was really low and it'd been a while since she ate anything.

But it was rude to turn down an offer while someone was trying to share. She didn't want someone who was clearly affected by the alcohol to be offended and possibly get upset. It'd happened a few times before and Sango knew the best thing was to improvise. The coy little smile turned up as she took the cup and looked to the serving glass. "Enzen-san...I'm not much of a drinker. But for you, I will have a small bit."

It was the only way to go about it. This man was probably seeing double about now, so he wouldn't notice, let alone remember, how much she poured or drank. And having at least some and letting the rest sit was better than denying any at all. So Sango poured a thimbleful at best and quickly drank it. The taste burned her throat and she fought not to cringe at it.

Miroku grinned at her reaction and rested against the edge, propping his head up with both arms. "Have another. It's excellent stuff and it's good to let go once in a while."

That was a bad idea and even a small amount like she got away with would soon take hold. Sango set the glass on the tray and stood, leaning forward a little to distract him. It worked all too easily as eyes shot to her cleavage. "Actually Enzen-san...are you ready to get out so I can dry you off?"

A mildly drunken or fully drunken man was easy to distract and all it took was a smile and some breast. The man grinned and stood, displaying a practically full erection he seemed not to care the least about. Arms spread wide as the grin did as well.

This was getting better and Miroku couldn't wait to see how she was going to tantalize him next. This was almost better than sex, despite the need that was almost painful by now, and it was a game he could get used to. "Do your worst Tsuyoi-san." He kidded, still eyeing her.

He ignored the hand she gave to help him so he didn't fall from bad balance and Sango subtly rolled her eyes while his back was turned. Again, her eyes briefly gravitated to muscular legs and rear before stopping herself and she looked away with a mental rebuke. Grabbing a towel from the cubbyhole, she looked at his chest and bit the inside of her lip as she bumped against...certain parts of his body.

Despite her experience and knowledge of studying some of the medical field, there were some things that got to her and never failed to make her blush at the audacity of it all. When on the bed, there was no eye contact and she could close her eyes and let time pass.

Miroku watched her, biting his lip as she lowered and got his legs. The temptation to say something seducing and have her touch him in a fully sexual way with hands instead of barriers whispered in his mind. He merely waited until she stood before arms shot out and pulled her against his chest. He enjoyed the shocked look floating across her face before it was shunted and she almost adapted to the event. The smile that came up dimmed a little as his head dipped to her neck. "You smell quite nice Tsuyoi-san."

Adrenaline hit and her heart sped up until Sango took a breath and slowly let it out. Despite the feelings he was creating by sucking on her neck, Sango didn't want to lose the upper hand in this. She felt better being the levelheaded one and on top; it was the only way to compensate for the shame and embarrassment she felt doing this.

Hands rose as she gently pushed at his arms, unable to budge them that easily. "Enzen-san...there has been a bed prepared specifically for this. If you will let me go, we could move to it."

It sounded like a good idea...but so did licking her soft skin. He was torn against the two things, his senses tuned and flared to the feel of her skin next to his. He ran the two over in his head until he connected what she was assuming and grinned. The ability to torture and watch those delectable lips part forced him to let go and Miroku waited until she was far away enough to practically stalk her.

Sango watched him until she was forced to find where the futon was or fall on it. The second she looked at it, her wrist was gripped and another arm wrapped around her waist. Again, she didn't expect the action and the breath caught in her throat. She was pressed against his body and hips grinded against hers. Her jaw clenched before she could restrain herself and brown fluttered shut.

The second his hands moved to the curve of her lower spine, Sango snapped back to reality. Hands rested on his arms. "Enzen-san...is it alright if I have you lie on the futon please?"

Her voice was soft and coaching, the way it was supposed to be. She didn't want any problems with a paying customer and was thankful when he gave a sly look and draped himself over the top. Without a word, she kneeled next to him, hands on his chest. His eyes were a little dilated from the alcohol, but were staring almost through her. She met his gaze for only a second before looking to her fingers and rubbed them over muscle.

Another pulse hit him below the waist and his hands twitched. "Tsuyoi-san..." He breathed.

A smile at feeling the power between them rose. She ignored the near question in his voice and shifted, straddling his waist and pressed her chest against his. She rubbed herself against him, suddenly aware she was still clothed. Sitting up and situating herself on his stomach for balance - trying to be careful of what was pressing against her rear - a hand moved to her back and easily flipped the clasp off her bra. Somehow knowing things were going to finish after she unclothed, hands lowered to the strings of her underwear. She separated two sets of buttons and pulled the thong out from the front of her body, leaving it next to the bed.(4)

Another pulse nearly hit painful capacity and if Miroku wasn't feeling the effects of the alcohol in full blast, he would've rolled the minx over long ago and buried himself in her. But his body was sluggish despite raging hormones as he was given the best view of now fully exposed female chest and could almost let himself be sat on if her hand would just reach around back.

Sango went back to rubbing her chest against noticeable muscle, hands gripping upper arms for balance. She let bangs hide her eyes so she didn't have to see the expression on his face. After maybe a minute of that, she rose to her knees and moved down to his lap, hand grasping flesh as she concentrated on the proper movement and rhythm.

Miroku's teeth clenched as a wave assaulted him. Hands gripped each other as a lifeline as his hips practically lifted off the futon. She was definitely experienced and he almost lost it when her tongue darted out a few times. It seemed to take forever until he got a hold of himself, but when he did, Miroku had her flipped onto her back in no time. How he did it, he didn't quite remember, but the second he connected, he gained an even heavier jolt which rocked him.

Sango's back arched a little, a gasp leaving her. She looked up into dark eyes, harshly swallowing as he moved slow, invoking quite well stimulation that quickly turned her on. She only let him get about half a dozen movements in before her legs moved up and wrapped around his waist, openly catching him by surprise and burying him deep.

The small bout of assertiveness turned Miroku on even more - if that was anyhow possible - and he instantly sped his movements. The weight of her legs dragged him down every time he tried to pull back, almost denying exit from her body and he moved back as if to comply with her silent insistence.

At some point since the beginning, Sango uncoiled the appendages and scooted back to sit up, using the surprise to gravitate him to his back and taking the advantage. She felt more commanding this way and straddled him, picking up where they left off and moving fast to placate him and take his mind off the submissive position. She grasped his wrists and put them to her chest, further taking his attention off the fact that she was in the man's position.

Her hands roamed his torso as his were doing to her. This was the best sex Miroku ever had, he could definitely admit right now. There was something seducing about being on the bottom, which he rarely encountered and allowed for this long. Mostly because some women just didn't go as fast as he liked and it was no good for pleasure levels. Her movements were keeping him from wanting to budge and she was doing a fine job of enticing and he was losing himself to her.

She was enjoying this, she had to admit. He was a very good-looking man and no slouch in the body department, which only served to spur her on and turn her on. She moved quicker and gripped his arms for balance, rocking against him as fast as possible; feeling herself reaching for the ending she knew was there.

He watched her face, unable to do much else, seeing and feeling when she came. Her teeth grit in an almost animalistic way, eyes squeezed shut and he joined her.

Sango stopped when she was to the point of being unable to take the cascade of emotions and halted, knowing he was satisfied and tried to catch her breath. She panted, hiding her eyes with bangs and leaving them closed to keep from seeing him. Part of her acknowledged fulfillment, the other half mentally hiding from the situation and reverting into herself.

She moved away and let him sit up. After another second of making sure she could stand, Sango retrieved his clothes, grabbing the towel so he could clean himself. She turned her back and slowly got dressed, avidly listening as she did so. She only turned after getting her hair out from her shirt and saw he was smoothing the turtleneck over his stomach.

Miroku felt a little more levelheaded and knew he sweated out some or most of the sake in his system. With a final, charming grin, he stopped in front of his partner and looked her in the eye. "That was thoroughly enjoyable Tsuyoi-san. Thank you for attending to me."

Sango gave an automatic bow, almost feeling coolly detached from it all. "It was also my pleasure Enzen-san. Thank you very much for coming."

Still in a euphoric state, Miroku couldn't help but take that as an innuendo, though she probably didn't mean it that way. The grin turned from charming to humorous as he fought a chuckle and stepped back as she rose. "In more ways than one." He bowed and headed for the door. He opened it when she merely stood in blinking confusion, seeing himself out.

Miroku's brow rose at seeing Inuyasha all but pacing the genkan and searched what he could of the face. There wasn't the normal irritated gruffness and he grinned. Off to one side, Sesshoumaru was getting ready to leave as well, with Jalco's president talking with the old woman. His lips twitched higher as an arm threw over a shoulder, unconsciously knowing Inuyasha's encounter was successful by his discomfort at still being here. By the time the exit door opened, Miroku's face was almost split in two with humor and high spirits.

He noticed the one he was with at the front of the hall, along with two other noticeable beauties. He looked over their attire, admiring the beautiful kimono that - oddly enough - seemed too prim to've been just put on. The other girl was wearing office attire and Miroku quickly guessed his friend's companion. He sent a sly look to hazel eyes, which rolled as the group turned for the doors.

Knowing she would get a talking to if she didn't remain in the hallway, Sango followed her customer out and leaned against her best friend's shoulder. She could see the almost sleepy expression on her friend, but knew it was actually impassiveness and sympathized. Curiosity sprouted though and she moved close to an ear. "So which one did you have Kagome-chan?"

Kagome-chan looked to her, blinking. Kikyou-sama cleared her throat as subtly as possible. "Remember your manners."

"Thank you so much for coming."

That was their cue. Sango gave as low a bow as possible while all but leaning on her friend. "Thank you very much for coming." They echoed in unison, remaining bowed until cold wind swished inside as the door was opened.

Sango didn't even wait until the door clacked shut. She turned and headed for the room to wipe everything down and clean the used bathing articles so she could take a long soak upstairs. She wanted to do a meticulous scrubbing and cleanse herself of tonight's encounter both literally and theoretically. The faster she forgot, the easier it would be on her conscious.

**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner, so if these are not 100 correct, please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page and a dictionary to learn from. This spot dedicated to new vocabulary only.**

**Translations: **Tsuyoi-strong/powerful/mighty/potent **(I thought it fit lol) **- bishoujo-Beautiful girl - Osoi yo-You're late **(yo emphasizes statement)**

**Having done much research, this story will be highly Japanese orientated and probably confusing at points. Numbers at the end of sentences will describe the whole sentence, while numbers next to a word will describe only that. If any of these are wrong, please correct me.**

1:It wasn't the most matching of outfits, but Miroku was too busy ogling the cleavage to give a rat's ass.: I had this long before I wrote this chapter. The pic I worked with helped me write this. Done by Mikaila with the color version up on Nakusoku to Negai webpage: http/ mirosan. deep-ice. com/ fanarts/ytngift.jpg (no spaces)

2:She knew it took a bit to heat up sake and safely carry it all those flights of stairs, but how much time passed already: I've heated sake and the only way to do it takes at least 5 minutes or more. I do it in a crude method, but it still works - pour the sake in a tokkuri (sake jar) and put it in a water heater on boil to heat the ceramic. There is that way, or you can heat the jar itself and pour the sake in. I like my sake bubbling and using a water heater takes time for not only the heater to boil, but also the sake. This's the cause for time delay...plus trying to safely carry that and cups on a tray for five flights.

3:Was there any other way to have sake: http/ www. asianartmall. com/sakewarmcold.htm (no spaces). This is a pretty good explanation between hot, warm, and cold sake. I personally like hot sake better than cold, though I've had all three. Sake, in my opinion, tastes better warmed - especially plum.

4:She separated two sets of buttons and pulled the thong out from the front of her body, leaving it next to the bed.: This came up when I tried to find some way of Sango go get her underwear off without getting off Miroku in a dignified way. (I'm sure we can all picture her having to hoist her legs over her head to get it off otherwise...guh.) I almost want a pair of those! lol


	8. 8

There was no day off. Whether helping or working at the hotel, having some other part time job for extra cash, or going to school, Sango was ALWAYS busy. It sometimes seemed the only vacation she was granted was a night's sleep. That wasn't saying much because Sango normally got six hours. Even when she had time off from college due to no scheduled classes, the occasional holiday, or teacher meeting, Sango wasn't allowed to screw around. There was no such thing as too much studying.

Thus, Sango sat at the low-set table with books in front and around her, still in sleeping yukata. The mussed futon splayed almost directly behind her, mostly to keep from being seen and a temptation this early. Despite the alarm Kagome-chan set to get only herself up, Sango forced herself as well to pick through a few chapters. She knew it was only polite to offer to help, but they both knew she couldn't do much. Judging by the smell, look, or feel of cooking something wasn't as easy as it sounded; it was hard to master and Sango could only assume her friend learned from her mother.

A pencil tapped over her textbook as Sango propped her chin up. Sometimes her friend was an enigma. Kagome-chan arrived at the hotel years before her and all Sango knew was the woman stumbled in. She didn't want to pry and ask questions to her senpai, but at times it made her feel like she knew a stranger. Often Sango wanted to open her mouth, but feared causing a rift. The first time she set foot in the hotel about a job, Kagome-chan was the one to make her feel welcome. Kagome-chan, having more experience, counseled and comforted her in difficult times in the beginning.

Heaving a sigh, Sango tried to get herself back on track. She shifted with intent on using the different position to refresh herself and immediately regretted it. Spending an unknown time sitting on her legs, both feet were numb and the backs of her knees highly protested. Sango sat back on her rear and flopped onto her futon, arms throwing wide as she waited to use her legs again.

Some minutes later, footsteps neared and the bedroom door slid open. Sango couldn't see who it was due to staring at the ceiling and her legs blocking the view, but she assumed the pause was due to surprise.

Brown eyes blinked hard and looked to make sure her fellow hotel resident wasn't hurt or she was imagining things. "Ano...Sango-san?"

Hoisting herself on elbows and dropping legs out of the way, Sango looked across the short space. "Yes Rin?"

"Kagome-san said to come get you while she set the table."

Was breakfast ready so quickly? Or had she really been studying so long? Whatever it was, Sango stood and situated her yukata as best as possible with only kohishimo keeping it closed. The pair ascended the flight of stairs and went to the back. Sango turned for the chabudai, but Rin made for the kitchen. Sango ignored the stares as she settled on her zabuton. She watched the table, listening to the others putter around.

"I hope Rin didn't wake you too harshly Sango."

Sango tried to keep from gritting her teeth lest her hostess see. She didn't miss the subtle hint to her attire and that she didn't change for breakfast or tie the upper folds properly for a woman.(1) But having remained in her room the entire time, Sango told herself not to get angry for assumed laziness. She pasted on a small smile and turned to her senpai. "Actually Kikyou-sama, I've been studying since Kagome-chan woke up."

Kaede leaned forward and set her teacup on a small coaster. "Doesn't your schedule say you have today off Sango?"

Brown shifted. "I do Kaede-obaasan, but I don't want to miss the opportunity to get some extra studying in. I have no work either, so this is a good opportunity to get ahead."

The trio turned at minute rattling. "Sango-chan...are you still in your sleepwear?"

Sango smiled despite the chastisement, feeling a little conscious of near nakedness. "Gomen Kagome-chan...I have been made aware of my fault." Brown resisted looking at Kikyou-sama with her defense.

"Good dress habits show your character." Kikyou murmured, sipping her tea.

Sango stood, unable to sit and let herself be lectured, especially this early in the morning. She pasted on a smile at startling her friend. "Let me help you put dishes on the table Kagome-chan."

Kagome blinked. "Eh? No Sango-chan; I DID wake up you up after all."

A hand waved as Sango started for the other room. "Nonsense Kagome-chan. You allowed me to get some needed reading done. This will be my thanks."

Breakfast was quiet and mildly small since the twins and Ayame-chan were at their dorm. Sango took an extra break to help wash and dry the dishes before excusing herself from tea to continue.

Time slipped by as western and Latin terms and katakana swarmed around Sango's brain. She opened the balcony door for extra light and folded the futon for space. One arm propped up her head on the table against the mass of hair in a low ponytail, legs again folded underneath.

The shadows created by early morning sun shifted a few inches. Having only a simple alarm clock - one Kagome-chan put away after each use - Sango had no clue to the hour. She managed to concentrate quite well the entire time and get ahead two chapters with plenty of notes to show for it. She was almost through an extra chapter in a different class when the door suddenly opened. In an instant, the bubble surrounding the room popped.

"Gomen Sango-chan, I don't mean to bother you while you're studying, but I need to get something from here."

Sango followed her friend in blatant curiosity. Her friend respected the wish for solitude when she studied, so if Kagome-chan needed something, she must've waited as long as possible before coming in. "It's fine Kagome-chan." She assured, still in position. The pencil rested in her hand as she resisted propping her head up. She took quite enough of the room with the silent allowance to let her be; the last thing she wanted was to give the impression that she was barged in on a shared room. Dark brown furrowed as a bag was pulled out. "Are you going somewhere Kagome-chan?"

"Mm." Kagome turned and smiled for a second before going back to rummaging. Being organized, it didn't take long to find her suits. "Kikyou-sama says since we're all idling around, we could go to class and spend some time there."

Sango continued watching with raised brows as Kagome-chan packed everything and zipped it closed. It sounded fun, when was the last time she'd been there? It'd been a week or two, but maybe longer - they normally went as a group and her studies usually kept her grounded. Like now.

Kagome stood and shouldered the small mass. She looked down with a congenial, inviting look. "Would you like to come with us Sango-chan? We'll only be two or three hours at the most."

It was a shaky offer and they both knew it. More study time meant better comprehension, more correct answers on tests, and therefore higher grades. Everyone in the hotel knew of her seriousness to get her degree in nursing and a good job to take care of her ototo. As much as Sango could say a few chapters were good enough, the load she had was not to be judged lightly. Her teachers would not be lax, so she shouldn't either.

It was a hard road, college was. The competition to get good grades, graduate well into the upper class, and get a job based on that was a constant, silent pressure.(2) The others at the hotel who went to college were the only ones who fully understood. Sometimes Sango felt like an utter loner with as much time as she spent away from her fellow roommates, but it was an unmanageable.

Sango's lips pressed together as she looked to the desk. "Gomen Kagome-chan."

Kagome's smile fell a degree before it quickly picked up while her friend's attention was diverted. "I understand Sango-chan. Your studies come first."

The fist at her side clenched. She could tell the small tone change and felt a little guilty. Bangs shadowed her eyes as she sat in mental turmoil in that realization.

"Well then...I will get out of your way. Please have something to eat though. There are some leftovers if you don't feel like fixing anything."

Sango listened to her friend pad to the door to open and close it. Her jaw clenched. Isolation hit hard as footsteps almost slowly headed down the hall.

Defeat, guilt, isolation, responsibility, hard work, fun, friends, and family all converged at once. Sango knew what should be done versus what she could be doing. She knew it was easy to leave her work and have fun, but if she did that she would neglect everything she wanted to get done today. What she wanted to get finished was uncertain; she was only using the free time to get through as many chapters as possible.

The steps soon died as her friend surely headed downstairs to meet the others at the front door. Sango's shoulders hunched. It seemed the choice was made for her. And now there would be only Kaede-obaasan to keep company, but the only thing the elderly woman would bother her for was a partner for tea.

Frustrated tears burned as Sango almost spitefully took in the room. Never had she felt more alone. Part of her yearned to decimate that and after a second of dwelling in it, it took hold before she could fight it. Sango shot to her feet and immediately fell. Another length of time weakened her legs and she all but crashed over the mini table. She cried out and grit her teeth against the small bout of pain. Catching her breath from such surprise, she lay there for a second.

"Matte..." She breathed, inching upward.

Sango stood, shaking hair from her eyes and pulling her yukata tighter. Brown eyed the mess, but left it. If she stopped, she would not only miss them, but realize her foolishness. She almost wanted to get her bag out and throw everything in, but she was unpresentable. There was no time to get dressed until she could buy five minutes once she caught up with them.

She threw the door open, all but banging it against the frame on the other side, and tried to hurry with the yukata around her legs. 'Matte...matte kudasai!'

This urge to be with someone grasped her heart and emotions. Too much time alone strangled her and she needed human contact right now. Sango couldn't - and DIDN'T - want to fight it and tried to think of where they'd be. She should check outside, but it was better to go on a balcony instead of running all the way down. "Matte! Please wait!"

"Sango-chan? Are you okay?"

Sango skidded to a halt in the narrow passage, nearly losing her balance and banging into the wall as she made to head downstairs to catch them despite rational thought. "K - Kagome-chan?" She breathed, heart pounding as the voice floated down. Hope and curiosity appeared...they weren't WAITING for her were they?

Kagome's head popped out of the sitting room as she hopped steps to the upper level, a smile on her face. "Sango-chan, you don't have your stuff together yet?" Her brows furrowed.

Sango blinked in bemusement. "My stuff..."

Rin's head popped out next to her friend's. "Hai Sango-san. Kagome-san wanted to give you a few minutes in case you changed your mind." Rin's brow furrowed. "Are you okay? We heard a crash."

Friends were the best and this just proved it. Sango's eyes closed to hide tears of gratitude. Bangs concealed her eyes as her head bowed. "Arigatou minna...if you will give me five minutes tops, I will be ready to go."

Kagome's eyes followed her friend. "Take your time Sango-chan. We wouldn't want you to get hurt if you injured yourself."

Sango was true to her word. Still disregarding the mess with the vow to pick it up later - and continue studying when they got back - she grabbed her bag and outfits, stuffing everything in haphazardly. A regular t-shirt and jeans was thrown on, her yukata left on the floor to be picked up later. Really, Kagome-chan would be quite upset with her for making and leaving such a mess, but right now Sango was too happy with her friends to care.

Skipping steps, she paused on the next level and grinned. "I'm ready, let's go!"

-.-.-.-

The phone rang again and Inuyasha sighed as he realized whoever it was wasn't going to let up until he picked up. Mildly irritated at pausing in his work on the latest webpage, Inuyasha made for the phone stand across from him.

"Jouryuu residence, Inuyasha speaking."

"About time you picked up, you lazy ass."

Inuyasha sighed. "What do you want now? Don't you have work or something to be doing? I know I do."

A grin formed as he paced the apartment, getting things put together. "Not today - can you believe I get a day off work now and then? And if **I** do, then so do you. Now put some things together. We're going out."

Hazel rolled. "But UNLIKE you, I prefer to not take the day off until I actually have free time. Offer declined Miroku - go by yourself."

"You don't even know where I'm going!" Miroku retorted, zipping up a duffle. "Come on, it'll be fun. I haven't been out to my favorite place in a while and you normally come with me, so I know it's been a while for you too. Get your stuff ready and be waiting for me."

"No." He practically ground out. "I've got work to do."

"Let it wait. We'll only be a few hours max...then you can get back to your workaholic schedule."

Inuyasha looked rather put out. He stared at the computer screen full of codes he was working on. He didn't like being disturbed when he was in the middle of the good stuff. Just because Miroku had it in his head to have some fun didn't mean he had to drag everyone else in with it. A day off? Big deal. That only made him even more behind and his employers wouldn't like him gallivanting around Tokyo when he should be working.

Inuyasha leaned against the wall, arm wrapping around his waist to support the other holding the phone. "I find it hard that Sesshoumaru would let you have time off. You call ME a workaholic...isn't he working on three different projects at once or something?"

Miroku snorted. "He's doing routine cleaning of the office. A lot of people are helping, but only so many people can be in those file rooms without being too crowded. I put in some time already...and now I get the rest of the day off."

"Didn't know Sesshoumaru was the giving type."

"Enough of that - quit stalling and get ready! We're going to the normal spot."

Inuyasha sighed. "I've got too much work to do!" He protested, not ready to give up, though the sound of a good workout wasn't that bad. Naturally, he loitered the apartment constantly the past few days, only going on the balcony when he needed to stretch his legs from the chair.

Miroku gave the wall a mildly annoyed look. "I'm not taking no for an offer. I'm already ready and if you don't have everything put together and waiting for me by the time I get there, I won't forgive you for making me travel the whole way when I could skip your apartment and go straight there."

"This's your idea not mine!" Inuyasha grit. It was no use. Miroku had hung up. Almost slamming the phone down, Inuyasha plopped into his chair, clasping fingers together to prop his head up. "This's just great...why did that dumb ass have to pick me to go with him? Doesn't he know anyone else?"

Miroku was just being friendly, Inuyasha knew this. His friend was also right in when he said that they hadn't been out together to that spot in some time. It'd been since around February or beginning March at least. What could he say? They both had busy work schedules that were demanding. Free time was in short supply.

Swiveling away from the computer screen, Inuyasha knew he didn't want to be on the bad side of his friend. Miroku was a nice guy unless you seriously pissed him off and then he was not a happy person to be around. Growling a little, Inuyasha shoved himself from the chair with an irate look. "Stupid, annoying, insisting moron. Why did he have to be my friend?"

Throwing a few necessary things in a bag, Inuyasha zipped it and headed to his desk. He carefully saved everything and shut it down; giving the energy meter a break for a bit whilst he was out. Heaving a sigh, disbelieving he was so lenient, even to someone he knew, Inuyasha made for his shoes. He dropped keys in the bag and started for the entrance doors.

Miroku was there not too long after. Living in the next district up, it was easy for him to get to a train station and find a quick route over. The walk wasn't long either, and thankfully it was plenty warm - despite it being the raining season right now - and didn't slow him any.

Miroku grinned when Inuyasha pushed the entrance doors open with a mildly disgruntled look. "I see you managed to get ready in time."

A glare formed. "Don't give me that shit Enzen. I just know what it's like to piss you off. You're quite annoying when you're mad."

A sly look donned Miroku's face. "Nice to see you see things my way. Shall we go? It's a few minute walk to the station."

Throwing the strap around his head, Inuyasha rested a hand over the length of his bag and wordlessly kept in step with his friend.

-.-.-.-

"One, two three! One, two, three! Watch your legs in the back. Raise the arms and to the left. One, two, three! Now to the right."

Ten minutes later, partially exhausted and half-sweaty, the four walked out of class with a towel around their necks. Sango heaved a sigh, a glow on her face from such exertion, but feeling better that she came and had no regrets about leaving everything where it was.

"Okay Sango-chan...shall we play with the machines next?"

Sango grinned and bowed. "Lead the way Kagome-chan, I'll use whatever you wish."

Rin watched the pair leave. "Do you want to use the machines as well Kikyou-sama?"

Kikyou mutely nodded, giving a congenial look to the young woman. "Let's not stay on one too long though, shall we Rin?" The second pair continued after the first while Kikyou wiped down an arm with her towel. The comfortable temperatures soon turned cold and she wanted to get working again to warm up.

Sango took an exercise bike next to her friend, watching a news report on a nearby ceiling tv with half interest. "Nee Kagome-chan?"

"What is it Sango-chan?"

Sango smiled, eyes on the tv. "Thanks for waiting for me today."

Kagome smiled. "I can't begin to understand the depth of duty on your shoulders Sango-chan, but I do realize it is very hard work. Helping you study the few times I have makes me see this."

"But...how did you know I wanted to come along?"

Kagome's lips twitched higher as she looked over, finding curious brown on her. "The look in your eyes screamed out to me. I asked Kikyou-sama to give us a few minutes more before we left. I figured it wouldn't take you long."

Sango sheepishly laughed, suddenly paying more attention as the speed in the bike program turned up two levels.

The group took turns on many of the running and bike machines, soon using almost every weight machine for a few rep sets. Sango wanted to run a few laps on the upstairs track, but Kikyou-sama said it would be a good idea for them to practice their Aikidou to keep from getting rusty. Sango gave in, since she didn't want to run alone and because Kagome-chan agreed as well.

Considering the fact that all four were not in proper attire to practice such a martial arts - leotards, shorts, and tights not appropriate - Kikyou wanted them to change into sets offered by the club for those types of exercises. They made a quick stop in the women's dressing room and exited in more traditional hakama and haori tops.

The four spotted an empty aerobics room, making a note to watch out for when the next class came in, and propped the door closed. Since Rin was still learning much of Aikido, Kikyou put Sango and Kagome together and paired up with Rin to teach her.

The pair bowed to each other and with dual 'onegai shimasu', adopted a fighting stance and fierce look. Both started training shortly after working at the hotel as a mandatory rule. Aikidou was more of a defense martial art than offense, but there were a few things to help the learner fight back without seriously injuring their opponent. It was perfect because if one of their clients tried to come at any of them, they could avoid harsh feelings by seriously hurting them after the whole thing blew over.

Kagome-chan had more years than her for sure, but Sango liked these kinds of things and her enthusiasm helped her catch up. It didn't take her long to get most of the moves down and though she only practiced when they came to the gym, her memory of everything was very good.

The pair waited for what seemed an eternity, trying to figure who would defend versus who would offer to attack. There was no spoken rule about who should go first, but both offense and defense needed to be used to create a situation the other could try and get out of. Sango's eyes narrowed the barest of slits before she moved forward with a false punch, using the momentum to spin around into a hook kick.

With barely any time to think, Kagome threw both arms to the side of her face, stepping into the length of her friend's leg to lose any connection her friend's foot might've made. Hands shot out as she grabbed Sango-chan's top and a leg shot out, sweeping the only foot on the floor out from under her. Brown eyes widened as she instinctively latched onto anything to keep her from falling, but Kagome's grip was firm as well as her stance.

Kagome smiled. "One point for me." She announced.

Sango smoothed her uniform top with a smile. "You are in good form today Kagome-chan."

Kagome fixed the sleeves on her top to sit better and adopted another guarded stance. "I feel energetic is all." Again, the pair stared each other down in anticipation to see who would budge first and attack.

0-

"Would you LOOK at all this? Machines, exercise rooms, lap track, hot and sweaty women in skimpy outfits..."

Hazel eyes swept the area in embarrassment in case anyone heard that normal voice tone comment. "Will you behave while you're here? We don't need any crap that might get us thrown out again."

Miroku sniffed in distain, head tilting up as he started for the changing room. "I merely complimented the young woman on her choice of matching outfit is all. She had good taste - should I have let the opportunity to flatter her fly by me?"

The look Inuyasha adopted clearly said he didn't buy it. "I remember damn well what happened and I'm not even going to repeat what you ACTUALLY said. Fucking hentai." He grumbled, pushing the door open.

"Inuyasha, you wound me!" Miroku threw a hand to his chest as a few men looked at them in surprise at the outburst. "Such cruel words...and here I was kind enough to bring you along with me."

"You dragged me here!" He grit out, opening his locker and trying not to cause a scene. He could already feel a few eyes and it caused him to slowly retreat to the side a little more.

Miroku opened the one next to his with a smile. "You needed some air. When was the last time you went out? That time I remember us all going together not too long ago comes to mind."

Inuyasha knew all too well what Miroku was talking about; the tone of voice insinuated it. "I'm not getting into THAT with you right here." He murmured, pulling the t-shirt over his head.

Miroku followed suit and went for his jeans. "Why not? It's such a memorable experience. The day you became a man."

His cheeks flamed and any resolve to ignore the idiot went up in smoke. A finger jabbed in Miroku's face as he glared. "That was NOT my first time you blatant, lying, perverted, excuse for a friend! Just because I don't parade myself in front of women as you do doesn't mean that was my first time with them."

Miroku grinned as his friend turned around to ignore him and finish changing, obviously uncomfortable at having such a conversation where anyone could hear. Fighting a chuckle at getting his friend riled up, Miroku hurried to finish changing as well, knowing Inuyasha would leave him and head out the second he was finished.

The pair exited the locker rooms and soon decided to warm up with a few laps on the upper floor. Inuyasha forced him to run a little faster than normal to keep up and Miroku knew his friend was still annoyed at the comments from earlier.

It was fun to get the stoic guy going. Inuyasha knew most of it was in play, but the poor thing holed himself up so much he slowly grew used to only himself and what he thought. Miroku took it upon himself to poke fun at every opportunity to make Inuyasha see there was a whole world out there - also because it was fun. Though his friend dealt with the world through the internet, codes didn't talk back. As Inuyasha's best friend - and most likely only friend - Miroku took it upon himself to keep the guy from being too introverted.

Inuyasha was definitely a handful and the hoops Miroku had to jump through to get him to come were just one of them. It was a little tiring and although Miroku worked with Sesshoumaru who was like his brother in some aspect, he couldn't imagine the pains the man took in dealing with his ototo on a daily basis. Inuyasha was clearly anti-social, which didn't fit Sesshoumaru's people person job, even though Inuyasha made enough money with his programming.

The pair stopped after four laps and headed downstairs. "So what do we start with next? Personally, machines are boring. I prefer something challenging." Miroku piped up.

"Basketball if that's what you really want. They've got a few nets down." Inuyasha answered, looking around.

Miroku nodded and went to the entrance counter to get them a ball. When he came back, he noticed Inuyasha staring off to one side with furrowed brows. "Inuyasha, what's up?"

Inuyasha's head shook. "Nothing...just thought I recognized someone." Turning for the court, hands went to grab the white braid to tie his hair up for the game.

Inuyasha finding someone he met here? The guy didn't know enough people, unless he worked with them, and many of them wouldn't be here at a time like this. Nor would they be in Harajuku; they'd be more in Shinjuku working.

Miroku's eyes widened when a movement caught his eye through the window and the back of a head turned around. In an empty room were a small group of women in traditional martial arts attire. Three of them were complete strangers, but fourth the one was currently putting an arm lock on her partner.

Miroku blinked and rubbed his eyes. He knew this woman - but he needed to get a better look at her face than halfway across the basketball court to be sure.

Inuyasha suddenly slapped the ball from his hands and lined up for a shot. "Okay, let's go. One on one to twenty-one points." Taking initiative at Miroku's lack of defense, Inuyasha quickly shot the ball in. "I'm winning so far."

Miroku snapped to his senses and caught the ball before it could hit him and rounded his friend. He would keep his eye on the group whenever possible and approach them later - right now he had a game to win. If luck had it, this would be a quick game and they would still be there.

0-

"Okay, okay Kagome-chan...I give." Sango panted, slapping the floor.

Kagome immediately released the arm lock on her friend and helped her stand. "Are you okay Sango-chan? I didn't hurt you did I?"

Sango rotated her arm with a smile. "Daijoubu. Shall we begin again?"

"Nee Kikyou-sama." Rin piped up from her own guard stance. "How long have we been doing this?"

"You can't possibly be bored Rin." Kikyou surmised. She remained in initiative stance for something to happen, no expression on her face. "We haven't been at it this long and Sango and Kagome are doing better than we are."

Said pair ignored the exchange and waited for the other to attack. As her friend made to grab her lapels, Sango's hands latched around her wrists and twisted her hands to dislodge the ability to grip. A stamp to the floor came as elbows protested and Sango immediately released her.

As the pair straightened their clothing again, Sango looked to the two. "Actually Kikyou-sama...isn't there anything else we can practice on while we're here?" She gave an apologetic look to her partner. "Nothing against you Kagome-chan, but I don't know when I'll be here again...I'd like to get the most out of this visit while I can."

Kagome smiled. "None taken Sango-chan. Why don't you see if there are any shinai or bokken at the front desk? You and Kikyou-sama can practice that and I can work on Aikidou some more."

It did sound like a wonderful idea. Sango didn't know when she was able to hold a bokken last. Sometimes the club would have the less dangerous weapons to use, since they were still highly practiced despite the no samurai sword law in Japan. Shinai clubs were famous in Japan and many held practice in many of the districts.

Sango looked to the eldest. "Kikyou-sama?"

Kikyou nodded in defeat. "Please see if you can bring back two shinai or bokken Sango." She turned to Rin with a bow. "Doumo arigatou gozaimashita."

"Doumo arigatou gozamiasu." Rin repeated.

"I will be back in a minute Kagome-chan." Sango bowed as the other two had, her friend copying. "Doumo arigatou gozaimashita."

"Doumo arigatou gozaimashita." Kagome straightened and looked to her newest partner. "Okay Rin-chan...ready?"

Rin nodded and immediately bowed. "I'll try my best Kagome-san."

Sango headed around the empty part of the basketball court in the center of the gym, eyes on the desk in easy view. A ball suddenly bounced directly in her way, quickly halting her movements with wide eyes.

"What the hell was that for! You totally missed the backboard!"

"Sorry! That was my fault entirely!"

Sango whipped to the voices, staring as a body and recognizable grin met her before it ran past to get the ball. Sango was too dumbfounded at the sudden event to move and the body backtracked to stop in front of her with a mildly deep bow.

"Please excuse my horrible aim and behavior. I wasn't trying to hit you, I swear."

Dread hit Sango in the stomach the second she made eye contact when the bow ended. She took a step back and fought against another, fists clenching. "You...you're..."

"Ah, please let me introduce myself again. I thought I saw your beautiful face and wanted to say hello to you, but I found myself enveloped in a game of twenty-one."

Sango's mouth gaped open. She forgot his name, as she forgot most of the one-timers, but she knew his face. She couldn't forget it, no matter how hard she tried. It wasn't easy to be able to ignore everyone that came into the hotel, since most were Japan natives who lived in the area. Therefore Sango set about disregarding what she could to keep from remembering if she saw them on the streets here and there.

"Please forgive me for not recalling your name off the top of my head. It was not that long ago, but only the main details are easy to remember when I look at you." The grin turned charming as Miroku took in her outfit. "I must say, you look rather becoming ojou-san. I am Enzen Miroku and I am both surprised and pleased to find you attend the same gym as myself. Why was it I never noticed your beautiful face around here before?"

Sango swallowed, the urge to forget the bokken or shinai and head back to the room with the others. She didn't want to be standing right here having any kind of conversation with this man. She made it a point to NEVER mix business and daily life. That wasn't too much of a problem considering many of the men that entered the hotel were businessmen and would work the entire time she was out and about. Sango simply didn't frequent the same social areas as almost all of them.

Save this one apparently.

"I...I..."

"Will you quit flirting and finish this game? Shit, I can't take my eyes off you for five minutes without having to save some poor woman from your pathetic advances."

Sango's head whipped to the new voice, immediately taking in the companion of her ex-customer. She didn't detect the same vibe this one was sending off and was mildly relieved at least. She took another step back as the raven-haired man advanced and all but got in the other's face. She was embarrassed to be the topic of conversation and worried someone would see them.

"You're really hopeless. Why don't you give it a break and come to work out for once? You don't have time for this kind of dating shit anyway. Our schedules are both hectic and if I don't date due to lack of time, you can't either."

"Ah, but I at least make it a point to be sociable with other human beings." Miroku pleasantly countered.

Inuyasha sputtered before glaring and turning to the latest victim of Miroku's roving eye. "Please excuse my friend. He's an idiot. I hope he didn't cause you any harm ojou-san."

Sango's mouth opened and closed without words. She was too much at a loss with this sudden turn of events. Part of her didn't want to be rude and assure her rescuer she wasn't offended, but the other half urged her to leave to the comfortable atmosphere of her friends.

"Sango...is there a problem here?"

Sango turned to the voice, relief showing in her eyes. "Ah, Kikyou-sama...this is..."

"Sama?" Miroku and Inuyasha echoed, giving the latest arrival an odd look. Who used such a formal, somewhat old-fashioned title nowadays?

Kikyou stopped in front of the men, her memory picking them out and identifying them. She didn't have a photographic memory so she didn't know their names, but their faces were familiar and she knew the only time she could've seen them was at the hotel for business. She gave a quick bow to be polite. "Please excuse the interruption to your conversation. I am Gachi Kikyou and Sango is my friend. I saw her talking with you two and my curiosity compelled me to check out why she was stopping you from your game."

The woman was gorgeous, even with her hair in a low ponytail and wearing the same outfit as her companion. Both could tell she was cultured and definitely older than them by her more impeccable and polite speech. Both Miroku and Inuyasha almost checked themselves for appearances at seeing how graceful she carried herself despite male clothing.

Miroku stepped forward and offered another bow. "Please forgive me Gachi-san. It is my fault entirely. I almost hit your friend with the basketball my friend and I were using." Miroku turned and clasped one of her hands, seriously looking in her eyes. "Please forgive me ojou-san for almost injuring you. I meant no harm by it."

Sango blinked, feeling his warm hand in hers. He had strong hands and they were definitely larger than hers. They also fit quite nicely. "I - it's fine..." She mumbled, blushing and snatching the appendage back, not expecting and wanting such close contact with a stranger.

It took Kikyou one second to see Sango's distress and she quickly intervened. There was no need for a scene and enough of one had already been created for her to see what was going on through the windows in the room. "Sango, why don't you go and do what you set out to do. I will finish talking to these gentlemen here for you."

Sango quickly bowed, mostly to thank her senpai for being so attentive. "Hai Kikyou-sama." She bowed to the two men and hurried around them, trying to keep it to a walk as she zipped to the desk to show off how unsettled she was. The sudden urge to practice and get out everything by swinging a sword started growing.

Kikyou waited until Sango was out of earshot before giving the two her attention. "I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name onii-san."

Inuyasha resisted a fidget against the cool, detached look. This woman was high class and reminded him of Sesshoumaru too much. Still, she was seriously beautiful and he almost figured he recognized her from somewhere. The name Gachi almost ticked a memory, but he couldn't figure it out. "Jouryuu Inuyasha." He answered, giving a small bow and hiding eyes from hers.

Kikyou returned it before giving Miroku her gaze. "I do hope nothing is wrong here Enzen-san. Sango is a good person, but she is somewhat shy. Please don't take her silence and lack of words to heart. I am sorry she couldn't apologize to you herself."

Miroku bowed again, somewhat perturbed at the way the voice tone never changed. Normally women like this didn't exist anymore. Why she would be at a gym at all charged his curiosity. "Think nothing of it Gachi-san. Perhaps we are all at fault in some way. Let us just let bygones be bygones."

Kikyou nodded and bowed a final time. "Then I will let you get back to your game." Brown spied Sango heading back, two shinai in her grasp. "It seems I have something to get back to myself." Both watched as Sango handed over a shinai that was taken at the hilt in total confidence. "Well then...have fun with your game." Kikyou bowed, turning and tossing the bamboo sword over a shoulder.

Sango was still uncomfortable speaking to one she met at work. She merely bowed and followed Kikyou-sama back to the room, feeling their eyes and trying to ignore them. She tried to keep herself from walking too close to the woman to make it seem she was clinging to her, but it was hard when she was still so shocked and unnerved about this.

The two watched them walk away with unreadable expressions. Finally, when the door softly clicked shut and the pair made to practice swings, a grin appeared on Miroku's face. "Ah, today was such a good day to come to the gym."

Inuyasha immediately looked less than pleased. He whipped to his friend and pointed a finger in his face almost accusingly. "Don't get any bright ideas. I don't want to have to talk to them anymore than I already have. I came to work out, not to save more women from your pathetic attempts at getting a date."

"You seriously think she would agree to go out with me?" Miroku asked, giving a look to hazel.

Inuyasha almost balked. "Which one are you talking about? That high-cultured chick? Hell no, she wouldn't give you the time of day, let alone the time it would take to kick your ass after your lame endeavors to pick her up."

"I meant the other woman. I don't think I could date a woman like Gachi-san. She is a vision, but she's not my type."

Inuyasha smirked. "She's the type who won't put up with you."

Miroku sniffed as if wounded. "You're opinion of me is so low Inuyasha. I never knew you thought so little of me."

"When did I ever think highly of you?" He ground out, taking the basketball and moving back to the hoop.

Miroku knew those words weren't true. Inuyasha seemed like a cold, uncaring person, but they spent enough time together to be considered good friends. Plus, Miroku knew Inuyasha adequately to know those words were of more annoyance than actual anger. They said it was time to pursue basketball instead of women for now. If he was lucky, he would run into such an enchanting minx at a later time. Regardless of its size, Tokyo was smaller than he thought.

**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner, so if these are not 100 correct, please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page and a dictionary to learn from. This spot dedicated to new vocabulary only.**

**Translations: **Ano-Um - Kohishimo-Tied underneath Kimono to prevent it getting worn out of shape - Matte-Wait - Matte kudasai-Please wait - Arigatou minna-Thank (you)/Thanks everyone

Aikidou-Way of harmony with the universe/Martial arts of defense - Onegai shimasu-I welcome you to train with me or literally I make a request; this is said to one's partner when initiating practice

Hentai-Transformation/metamorphosis/abnormality/pervert - Harajuku-District in Tokyo - Shinjuku-District in Tokyo - Daijoubu-I'm safe/all right/O.K - Shinai-Bamboo fencing stick

Bokken-Wooden sword - Doumo arigatou gozaimashita-Thank you very much, at the end of each class it is proper to bow and thank those with whom you've trained - Ojou-san-Young lady

Onii-san-Older brother/(vocative) Mister

**Having done much research, this story will be highly Japanese orientated and probably confusing at points. Numbers at the end of sentences will describe the whole sentence, while numbers next to a word will describe only that. If any of these are wrong, please correct me.**

1:She didn't miss the subtle hint to her attire and that she didn't change for breakfast or tie the upper folds properly for a woman.: The preferred shape for women when wearing kimono is tubular. When not folding the cloth over the chest area, it looks rather wrinkled and messy (I do this myself a lot, so I know). Also, woman are not supposed to show a lot of skin, so folding the top against the neck is also proper.

2:The competition to get good grades, graduate well into the upper class, and get a job based on that was a constant, silent pressure.: Japanese school systems are really competitive. There are two entrance exams just to get into college (especially the higher prestige ones) and where you went to college will sometimes help you get the job you want.


	9. 9

The alarm went off and it was shut off before Sango could reach for it. Morning sunlight was just starting to peek through closed shoji, promising a day of sunshine and good weather. She rolled over with a mild groan, not wanting to wake up quite yet, but knowing she had to get ready for another busy day.

"Ohayou Sango-chan." Kagome muttered. A sound of rustling cloth came as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. With a yawn and stretch, Kagome dared to leave the warm cocoon and stood.

"Ohayou Kagome-chan." Sango drawled back, rolling to her back. She stared at the ceiling to mentally wake up, idly watching from the side of one eye as her friend spread her comforter out and folded the futon. Knowing hers was next; Sango gradually sat up and stretched.

"Today promises to be nice and warm." Kagome mused, edging the closet door open with a foot. She dropped the folded bundle inside and turned. "If you like, you can leave this to me and use the toilet room first."

Sango stood, taking some time before that to open the balcony door and walk to it. It wasn't a good idea considering she was in haphazardly closed yukata, but Sango wasn't awake enough to worry about modesty. She draped arms over the wooden rail, looking out at the minute view. The air was crisp and she watched the sunrise for a few seconds, taking in the simple wonder with deep appreciation.

Kagome joined her friend when she finished putting their beds away, inhaling the air. "What a gorgeous morning. Will you just look at that sunrise!" Arms stretched again before Kagome adjusted the folds of her yukata.

Sango smiled at her friend before giving the view her attention again. "We should open the doors today, ne? Something like this is too stunning to waste."

"I agree. That sounds like a fine idea Sango-chan." Kagome laid a hand on her friend's shoulder, getting brown eyes. "Come, you can get ready now while I go start breakfast."

"I'll help Kagome-chan." Sango offered, straightening and heading inside with her friend.

"Thanks Sango-chan, but won't you be getting ready while I'm cooking?"

"I can put my books and notes together before I leave. Please...I want to help out this morning."

Kagome smiled and nodded. "I welcome your assistance then."

Sango headed for the toilet room to use it and wash her face to wake up. She let her friend use it next as she shut the balcony door to get dressed. If the morning temperatures were any indication to this afternoon, it was going to be warm. Sango started pulling out clothes as her friend exited the toilet room and stood above, looking at the hung clothes. The pair dressed together and exited for the upstairs floor, Sango letting her friend go first.

"I'll get the eating room balcony Kagome-chan, you get the kitchen."

"Can do Sango-chan."

Sango turned for the room and jumped at finding it occupied. A hand rested over her heart as she took a breath to calm it. She pasted on a smile and paused in her mission. "Ohayou nasai Kikyou-sama."

Said woman put down her teacup and gave a congenial look. "Ohayou nasai Sango. What was this about balcony doors?"

There was no need to ask for permission if no one was in the room, but Sango didn't want to be haughty and open the shoji if Kikyou-sama didn't want it open. She was situated right next to the doors to see the view, so the wind would hit her more. Besides, this was not Sango's home. If someone else was in a room she was planning on changing, it was polite to ask for the okay first.

"Kagome-chan and I were going to open the balcony doors to let some air in. We were outside and it's beautiful weather right now. Plus the sunrise is nice."

Kikyou stared at her cup in thought, face masked. They were high up enough to keep most dust from coming in if the door was open and wind blew something in. The hotel wasn't well sealed due to old construction methods, but this morning didn't feel too bad when she stepped out of her futon. Kikyou finally nodded and sipped her tea again.

Sango stepped around her senpai and opened both all the way, letting in a strong sunbeam. She blinked, not expecting the light to be so much already. Turning, she looked to the back of shining raven. "Is the sun bothering you Kikyou-sama?"

"No Sango, it's fine."

Sango nodded and stepped back, taking in the room. It might not be a problem for Kikyou-sama, but she and Kagome-chan had to sit facing the window. The sun would be right in their faces. Sango's lips pursed, not wanting to close the windows just for that, but not wanting to eat blind either. She could only hope the sun rose enough by the time breakfast was ready.

As usual, Sango cut up all the vegetables to be eaten, grabbing things from the fridge as requested and watching her friend make breakfast. It seemed like such a simple thing to do, but looks were always deceiving. It was even an exact science to wash rice to get it the proper texture and consistency and throughout the many years Sango washed rice for her friend, she still hadn't gotten it down. Water temperature, amount of leftover bran, and washing time were always going to be different.

Sango watched as her friend put everything in dishes to be taken out, taking the tray for her with the silent offer to get things set up. She probably wouldn't be able to do it quite the same as her friend, but practice was always a good thing. Long ago, she asked for help from Kagome-chan about all the details of a good cook and the first thing she was told was presentation.

0-

_"Please understand Sango-chan, taste is important, but by arranging your food in such a way to make it look beautiful is just as crucial. Your skill as a cook also shows in this aspect. From what you tell me, you never bothered so long as it was edible?"_

_"Ee. I never troubled myself to do everything like a chef can. I lived with my father and brother - it was more significant to have food on the table on time. Do you think you can help me Kagome-chan?"_

_"I'll do what I Sango-chan, but I can help you get some basics down before we get to the harder stuff."_

0-

At the time, it took a lot of nerve to ask for help, but Sango felt foolish whenever the memory came back. She wanted to laugh at herself for feeling like she was asking for a ton of money without being able to pay it back. She wasn't good at requesting things when she should already know how to cook, but that was the problem with having to do so much. There was the matter of time and the lack of a supply devoted to proper cooking which always escaped her.

Bowls and plates were arranged quite nicely by the time she finished and Sango was satisfied with the setup. Kagome-chan, as always, did a good job at appearances; she only hoped to do it justice by putting everything the way it should be.

Still unsure with her beginner level, Sango turned for the kitchen and stopped next to her companion. "Kagome-chan, I've got everything arranged. Do you think you could double-check it?"

Kagome smiled and craned her head around her friend to take a peek at the table. Whether Sango-chan did a good job or not, Kagome didn't really want to admonish her friend if she did a bad job and make her feel awful. She understood the delicate position of trying to teach someone, but also knew the woman wouldn't learn if she didn't know how to do something right. If that meant correcting her, Kagome would have to open her mouth. "Sauces go next to the main course Sango-chan. Otherwise, it looks perfect."

Sango turned to fix the tiny dishes. She saw movement in the stairwell and looked to it. A smile graced her face as she stopped for a second. "Ohayou Rin. Ohayou nasai Kaede-obaasan."

"Ohayou nasai Sango-san." Rin answered, waving a hand. She openly sniffed the air, an appreciative look on her face. "Breakfast smells good as always." Kaede smiled in greeting, arm around Rin's, as they made their way up.

Sango left the pair and made to finish what she started. In a minute, everything was the way it should be and Sango studied the look, trying to ingrain it in her mind until the other two wandered in to eat. She stepped aside to let the elder sit, offering her hand to help her down. After that, she set the cane in an easy to reach spot before heading back to the kitchen. "Are you ready to sit down Kagome-chan?"

Wiping her hands, eyes scanned the area to make sure everything was as picked up as it was going to get until everyone finished eating. Quickly, Kagome poured water from a heater to teapot, setting it and glasses on a tray. "Let's head over." She replied. A quick balancing act and the tray was emptied.

"It looks very good you two." Kaede announced.

A round of 'itadakimasu' sounded before everyone grabbed chopsticks and started in.

Sango didn't want to hurry to eat, but intuition was soon telling her the hour was ending and she should be heading off if she wanted to get to class on time. There was no clock in this room and she didn't want to just get up in the middle of eating to check the time. There was one wall in another room, but Sango couldn't see it from here.

Sitting mere centimeters next to her friend, Kagome could tell the subtle shifting under the chabudai and knew exactly what it was about. There was only one thing Sango-chan would get so nervous about this early in the morning. Checking the level of tea and seeing it could use a refill, Kagome stood without much explanation and headed to the kitchen. She noted the time, filled the pot, and returned. Positioning chopsticks to continue eating, Kagome cast a glance to her left. "Sango-chan, I do believe it's about time to leave for school."

Brown widened as Sango mentally thanked her friend. She practically stuffed the remaining food in her mouth and gathered up her dishes. "Gochisousan." She mumbled.

Kagome placed a hand on an arm as the woman made to rise. "I'll take care of your dishes Sango-chan - you need to hurry and get your things ready."

What would she do without her friend? Sango shot a smile of gratitude and left them in an easy pile to pick up before bowing to the masses. "Ittekimasu." She announced. It wasn't necessary to say anything until she actually left, but they wouldn't hear her when she would say it.

"Itterashai." Kaede returned, nodding as she hurried from the room.

Sango waved before totally out of sight, rapidly walking to the steps. She skipped down as fast as possible to the other level without risking a fall. Now out of hearing and criticism about running in the halls, Sango jogged to her room and snatched the backpack sitting on her study table. She mentally tracked the classes for today and made sure all books and homework were inside. After that, she jogged back for the stairs and skipped steps to the ground floor.

It was almost nostalgic to see such an old-fashioned hotel so early in the morning and no matter how many times Sango passed it in such early hours, the feeling never escaped her. Any work on these floors was done at night and the atmosphere was entirely different. This look was almost homey and it was hard to connect what they were actually used for.

Shaking herself from such things, knowing it was only eating away precious seconds, Sango hurried to her sneakers and shoved the front doors open. They easily closed behind her and she tried to keep from slamming them. Shouldering the bag, Sango grasped both straps and started trotting. It was thankfully a close walk to the station, but this early assured large shopping and business crowds. There was no getting around them, so the only hope Sango had was to beat them and find a decent spot on the train.

She managed to find a ring to hang onto the whole way to her stop. After getting off, she checked her time on a nearby wall clock and found she was about on like always. That was a relief and she slowed to a general walk to keep from getting sweaty in first period.

It was nice being only one district away; it was a faster ride to college. That was an overstatement though, because Hongo campus was HUGE and Sango always took the campus shuttle to weave around everything just to get to the outskirts.(1) It was a pretty efficient system, kind of like a mini-subway system mirror to Tokyo's, so it never took long to get on a bus. Luckily most of her classes were next to Akamon, but the walk around buildings was as bad as getting to the subway.

Finally entering the edge of campus, Sango waved to a few students she knew in the few years and some of her current classmates headed her way. She slowed to let them catch up, smiling in greeting when they came in earshot.

"Ohayou Tsuyoi-san."

"Ohayou." She returned, brow furrowing as one went back to looking at a few sheets of paper. "What do you have there?"

Brown eyes met hers in mild confusion. "Don't tell me you forgot about the quiz in our second class Tsuyoi-san."

Sango stopped for a second, brain rapidly recalling all of last week. Announcement of the quiz sprang to mind and Sango smiled. "You caught me off-guard, but I haven't forgotten it." A finger waved as a teasing grin popped up. "Are you trying to give this poor woman a heart attack?"

Chuckling sounded as one held the door open. Nods of thanks came from everyone as the group trickled into the hallway. A general hum of talk and bobbing head filled the hallways. Sango and her fellow students managed to weave around most of them until a few split off for their classes. Goodbyes were practically shouted to be heard until Sango reached her first class. She held the door open for the remainder with her and headed for an available seat. She shared small talk with some while pulling out books, immediately paying attention when the teacher walked in.

Classes were long and difficult. Most of them were at least one to two hours. Most were lectures with a few labs. Sango kept all books and notebooks from every class, occasionally going back through when she had vacation time to rewrite for better handwriting and more comprehension. It seemed pretty pointless since she already had everything written down and notes in the books, but she didn't like forgetting things.

She had four classes this semester and they easily filled up her week. They started just after sunrise and went till mid afternoon. Of course, Sango made sure to put some extra time for walking between classes and a lunch break down since she never brought food with. It would be nice to have Kagome-chan pack her a bento everyday, but that was not only asking too much, but Sango didn't mind cafeteria food. It also gave her time to associate for a bit with some students and, when eating with someone else from a class, go over misunderstood stuff.

It was a secret wish she had to get through the four-year program in less than four years. The faster Sango graduated, the quicker she could get a job in a hospital and move back with her brother.

'Kohaku...' Her heart panged, longing to see him again. It'd definitely been a while - perhaps sometime in March? - since they spent time together. Sango felt a little guilty for that, although she wrote to him as faithfully as the first month they were apart.

The wish to move back with her brother was another secret desire connected with wanting to graduate early. Sango prayed it would be a successful aspiration, though she seriously doubted it. Not many students graduated early from such a hard choice of study. Plus there was fieldwork to do in hospitals before one could consider themselves ready to go at it fulltime. Hospitals and places that needed nurses wouldn't accept someone who hadn't put in real time beforehand.

Sango had yet to get out and see any actual patients, but that would arrive faster than it should. Final year students left the classroom and put their skills to work and Sango wondered if, considering it right now, she had what it took next year to start fieldwork. Every time she felt this uncertainty, she always drove herself to study harder and put those fears to rest. All she needed was practice and the harder she studied, the better she would be when she got out there.(2)

-.-.-.-

The cafeteria was a sight for sore eyes and Sango hurried to get a good place in line. Breakfast wore off last class and her stomach was starting to growl. She tried to quell it to keep it from voicing an opinion of what she should be doing instead of taking notes and suffer embarrassment.

Loading up a tray and paying the cashier, the second she turned and looked for a place to sit she locked eyes with a few classmates waving to her. Sango smiled and headed over, setting her tray down on a cleared spot. "Tsuyoi-san, konnichiha."

"Konnichiha" She answered, steadying the pack on the back of the chair. "How is everyone doing today?"

"Can't complain."

"Speak for yourself; you know we have that quiz coming up. Mou...I'll never be ready in time!"

Sango grabbed utensils and dug in, but gave her friend a look. "Which is that for?" She already got done with one quiz and this person was in one of her classes, it wouldn't do to forget another test.

"Don't listen to the whiner...she's just overreacting. That quiz isn't for a few days and you know it. Don't worry; you'll manage to cover everything in time."

"I don't know...did you check out the chapter?"

"What chapter is this for?" She piped up, still curious.

"Repertory track and pulmonary diseases."

"I've taken that class already."

"Perhaps you can help me review it?"

Sango gave an apologetic look, feeling a little bad that she would have to squash such a hopeful expression. "Sorry, I've got work after classes tonight or I would help you study. Gomen that I can't help."

The eyes never lost their sparkle. "But you know this stuff already? Do you think you could go over a few things with me before you head off to class? I'll take that over nothing right now."

Sango smiled and nodded. "I'll do my best to answer whatever you want. Pardon me if my brain is a little rusty."

The rest of her hour was spent in a mini-tutor session. Sango considered it productive for not having any notes and only memory to go on. She helped out a lot from the profuse thanks, but there was no real life talk at all once she started in. It was a shame because Sango felt like conversing with her companions about something other than college for a change. Her days were full of college at home, so why should she expect anything else when at the topic of her life? She mentally sighed, recognizing her selfishness. 'I helped someone out today. I should be happy I did that.'

Though she told herself to feel better, Sango felt somewhat cheated from a little fun. It wasn't everyday she got to joke around with others outside the hotel. Sango did talk a little before classes, but that wasn't enough time to get a good conversation going.

Dumping her tray in the trash, Sango shouldered the bag again and waved to the remaining who didn't have another class and headed for the exit doors.

-.-.-.-

Classes finally ended and Sango stuffed everything in her bag. Time to head home and get ready for work. She wanted to have extra time in between classes and work just in case something happened and thankfully the schedule with this job gave her two hours. There was no need to rush around like she did two semesters ago with her old job.

Since it was the beginning of the month, Sango took a trip to the post office to check her mail. Normally, she checked it once a week, not ever expecting much. She kept a separate post box address instead of having mail sent to the hotel. It may've been more convenient to send it to her place of residence, but having a p.o. box kept anyone from looking into her temporary home. She was too mortified to let the world know where she was living.

It also kept Kohaku from knowing too.

Every time Sango thought of Kohaku paying a visit to the hotel her heart clenched and she almost panicked. She refused to tell her little brother anything about the hotel or details of the people that lived there. The less he knew, the better it would be for them both. Sango knew if Kohaku ever found out, she would never be able to face him again. It was too disgraceful - this main job she had that paid so well. It wasn't as if she hated the people; far from it.

Any good mood she had disintegrated with thoughts of the soaplady business. It was a secure job, oddly enough, even for its origins. Men paid the standard fifteen thousand set down years ago by Kikyou-sama and Kaede-obaasan.(3) Expenses like electricity, food, water, sewer, etc were taken from that money and the rest was Sango's. She had enough to send to Kohaku every month for rent and put some aside for books. Business was never lacking and most of the men who came in were those who could easily pay the amount specified.

Fifteen thousand was quite a bit, which was why Kikyou-sama demanded everyone earn it. If they were going to please a man, they had to play their parts and know all the tricks.

The woman was shrewd, but a good businesswoman. She had the beauty, manners, and grace men could only imagine finding in a woman nowadays. She was near perfect and quite the ideal model for girls aspiring to be upright, but Sango still didn't like her that much. She never voiced her displeasure to anyone because she had no desire to find another place to live. She knew the expressions 'cutting off one's nose' and 'biting the hand' very well and tolerated the woman whenever they were in the same room and had to speak to each other.

Their personalities were too mismatched. Kikyou-sama was cool about so many things in life and never seemed to get angry. Sango couldn't imagine what it was like to never get frustrated or laugh at something or cry when she wanted to. During some geisha training, she tried to imagine herself quiet and refined and almost wanted to quit. She considered her spirit too much to be tied down like that. She was attached to the hotel as it was, but once that was over she would leave and not regret it. That's what happened when you put rabbits and tigers together...conflict was sure to ensue unless one gave in.

Automatic doors swung open and Sango jolted to the outside world. She smiled and bowed her head in general greeting, stepping out of the way for people leaving. Hands reached for keys hidden in a pocket in her bag as she made for a wall of metal slots. She fished out the key for her box and opened the small door. A grin lit her face as she found a letter sitting inside. Kohaku's handwriting was on the front.

She wanted to open it now, but Sango restrained herself and set it amidst books to keep it from getting squashed before heading home. She had to get her uniform and get a snack prior to heading out. Sure, she could probably find something at a nearby market, but saving money was a good idea.

The train ride was quick and she went immediately for the uniform kept safely in a drawer. She didn't exactly want to change here and then head over - what happened if something got on her clothes? Dumping everything from her bag, save for maybe some homework that could get done later if she had time, Sango tucked clothes inside and headed for the lower level. A bite to eat and she'd be gone.

"Eh? Ayame-chan? What're you doing here?"

Said woman looked over and smiled. "Konnichiha Sango-chan. I have work tonight, so I thought I'd come a little early and do some homework beforehand."

Sango nodded and stepped past the threshold, setting her bag aside. She stopped in front of the fridge and started digging around.

"Ah, Sango-chan...I just remembered something. Kikyou-sama wanted to talk to you about work tonight."

Brown furrowed as Sango looked up. "Kikyou-sama?" Work? What in the world could the woman want? She hoped she wouldn't have to call in if something was going to happen. "I'll find her in a bit. I need to get something to eat first. Where did you see her last?"

"She was in her room last I knew."

Sango nodded and pulled things out to put together. It wouldn't do good to have her boss waiting longer than she had already, so Sango resolved to make this a fast meal. As much as she hoped to eat a little leisurely today, she now hoped to get out of here on time.

Fifteen minutes later, Sango checked each room on the top floor and the sleeping rooms, but Kikyou-sama was nowhere to be seen. With a sigh at having to search, Sango ventured into each floor, listening for anything on the familiar voice. It wasn't quite late enough for men to start entering and unused rooms were left open. Still, no Kikyou-sama.

Oddly enough, just as she was ready to head out and speak with her later, Sango saw the woman in the check-in area with her plants. Sango suppressed annoyance at finding her all the way at the bottom and spending so much time looking. Punctuality was important and she didn't want to lose her job over something like tardiness.

"Kikyou-sama? You wanted to speak with me?"

Immediately, Kikyou stopped her care on a flowerpot and took off the gardening gloves. "Sango. I have a job for you tonight when you get back from work."

Brown widened in shock. "A - already? But, I don't know if I'll be able to make it back in time. Tonight?"

Kikyou looked to the woman, eyes narrowing the slightest of degrees at the hesitant tone. "I made sure it is past the hour you specified when you come back from your part-time job. You will have close to an hour to freshen up and get ready."

Fifteen thousand yen... Sango mentally sighed, not wanting to give up so much easy money. Steeling herself, telling herself this was not for her own benefit, her shoulders squared as she nodded. "Understood. I will try to hurry home and not dally afterwards."

-.-.-.-

Sango didn't have too many jobs in her life. Some of them were okay, some were easy and some hard. She didn't like to be like some of those people who switched jobs that they didn't like or didn't pay enough. Sure money was a factor, but hours were way more important. She needed something that could make money, but would work with her schedule. College was second most important thing after Kohaku and she wouldn't let anything jeopardize graduation time. Not even a job. As much as Sango didn't like to give up on something, jobs were discarded if they didn't fit into her schedule. It was the only reason she had more than one job since high school. Almost every semester she had to start over and relearn what she should be doing and Sango kind of felt bad for it, but not with this.

Waitressing wasn't quite so bad once one learned the tricks. The biggest one was how to deal with people. Most of it was upstarts who wanted to put someone down in front of their friends or men who wanted her number. Sango had become quite evasive in uncomfortable situations and managed to wheedle her way out of them easily.

It wasn't a bad establishment though. La Boheme was classy and Sango liked the setup - plus it was in Shinjuku.(4) It was a little crowded with so many tables, but one knew how to thread their way through after a few days. It attracted some high-payers who liked Italian.

Working the sunset shift was always busy, since many shoppers or tourists seeing the Gyoen decided to have dinner. Sango didn't mind, as it always made time fly by that way.

There was a hum of quiet talk in the air and Sango felt ready to work as she passed the doors - definitely feeling a little out of place in jeans and shirt at seeing so many women in nice dresses. She made for the employee bathrooms in the back. Her bag went in a small locker section set up for employees and she finished slipping into the provided loafers.

Everything was formal wear. Waiters wore black slacks, white shirt, black tie, black apron; women wore long black skirts with black tights, white shirt, black tie, black apron. Shoes were black. It made her feel rather professional and Sango almost slipped into a role, much like at the hotel, as she stopped at the board to find the tables she would cover tonight. She quickly made to put her hair up in a ponytail to keep it out of the way before heading out when movement caught her eye.

"Well if it isn't Tsuyoi-san. Konbanha."

Sango smiled and scooted out of the way as the swinging door pushed aside to let someone by. "Konbanha to you too Nakama-san. Has it been like this long?"

Said person shrugged and adjusted the tray in her hands. "It picked up about half an hour ago. You know how it is sometimes. Do you have your book and a pen?"

A hand dove into a pocket in the apron specifically for keeping the order book in. A pen followed the book as Sango held up her contents. "All ready to head out. Looks like I get to cover the upper alcove tonight and take the stairs a million times."

Nakama grinned. "Exercise is good for you. Now shoo, I'm making someone wait."

0-

Sango took her only fifteen minutes around eight, taking enough time to snag a dish brought back by a finicky customer - why bother wasting perfectly good food which would only be thrown away?(5) - and rub her feet. Despite the comfort of loafers, standing on one's feet for hours on end still hurt.

She had to've seen almost two dozen tables since starting. Having around a dozen to administer, Sango didn't have much to think about besides food and drink orders. Her brain shut down from the outside world ten minutes after punching in, but one thing flared as she made for the alcove.

Brown widened as adrenaline hit her with such a force, Sango nearly dropped the tray she had in one hand.

To her back sat a familiar ponytail...a woman across from him. She was pretty, though Sango had no clue who she was. The face was obscured mostly by messy, black bangs until it shifted to the side.

Sango's heart almost stopped. It was enough to have to see him once, but now she had to deal with him again...because he was sitting at one of her tables. Quickly, Sango went to the waiting table and took their order, maintaining professional cool and keeping her distress hidden until she got to the kitchen and posted the sheet.

She leaned against the wall, taking deep breathes. She couldn't possibly face the man like this. She didn't want to face him at all again - unless he was paying for a repeat trip and then it was strictly business - and here she was interacting with him. Someone like him was bad news the way he acted and Sango avoided player types like him.

"Huh? Tsuyoi-san...what's wrong? Are you feeling okay?"

Sango looked up, blowing bangs from her eyes and came face to face with her manager. She cringed for a second before hiding her eyes with bangs and straightening. "Excuse me sir. I felt a little woozy, but I'm fine now." She forced a smile for show. There was no way she could say she was feeling odd because of someone she didn't want to serve. She would be fired before her manager shuffled staff around just so she didn't have to take that single table.

"If you need to, take a quick second and get some water. It might help. We don't need you fainting out there if you are sick."

Sango bowed, feeling a little bad for lying. "Really, I am fine now. I must get out there before the customers get impatient." Without another retort to keep her in the back, Sango turned and exited the swinging doors.

She would have to be his waitress. As much as she wanted to keep from making chitchat, she would have to force herself to endure. She only hoped he wouldn't make any comments to her other job; it was a big fear she always had.

She stopped at his table, pad ready, and barely gave him her eyes. "Please excuse me for keeping you waiting. My name is Tsuyoi Sango and I will be your waitress tonight. Can I get you anything to drink?" She got the woman's, but he remained silent. She forgot his name again, never resolved to remember it, and was glad. Sir was distant.

She met his eyes and found them confused, but he had a little smile as if it was a pleasant surprise. She bit the inside of her lip, fearing he would mention the hotel and praying he wouldn't. "Sir...do you care for anything to drink?"

Miroku couldn't believe his luck. Fate was kind to him for once and he almost forgot the date in front of him for the one waiting on him. A full grin broke out. "Well, isn't this a surprise. I never expected our paths to cross like this."

Sango's hand clenched a little around the book. She gave him a polite smile. "Yes, we do meet again. Is there anything I can get you to drink sir?"

She quite abruptly changed the topic and a brow rose. He dumbly gave the order; also that he knew what he wanted to eat and ordered for him and his date. He watched her write it down and made to speak again, but she cut him off with a bow and excuse that she would be back. She exited before he could ask details of how long she was employed and why they never met here before now.

Sango walked on eggshells every time she was within a meter of his table. She feared he would catch her attention to want something or to say something of her being here. She made sure to use the learned elusive methods to get out and made sure to make fewer trips to his table than needed. Her only hope for almost noticeably rude behavior was that he didn't report her to management.

He saw her strolling around and couldn't help to watch her walk away. The skirt left so much to the imagination and a few times Miroku had to remind himself he was on a date and his attention should be paid to the other woman. His curiosity was so much, his questions never answered each time she visited their table, and Miroku took it upon himself to get a reply. He made an excuse for the toilet and noted the main causeway. He observed her heading in and subtly made for that direction.

Miroku took into account that she might be carrying something out, so thought up away to stop her physically without making her drop something. He didn't want a scene, but she wouldn't pause if he asked her. With the way she was so far tonight, he knew that for certain.

They would be gone soon. Sango felt quite proud of herself for sticking it out and handling it. She grabbed an order and deftly balanced it. She pushed the doors open with one hand and then latched onto the edge. A small tug on her waist jolted her a little and fearing she snagged her skirt, Sango's head turned...almost dropping the tray in shock.

Miroku smiled and let go. "Hello Tsuyoi-san."

Sango's grip on the edge tightened to painful proportions. She nodded. "Was there something you needed sir? I apologize for any delay. If you will give me a few minutes to get this delivered, I will be over there to get to you."

Her tone was almost patronizing and certainly isolated. Miroku's brow furrowed. "Well Tsuyoi-san, I wanted to ask you something, but you never stay around long enough for me to inquire."

Sango's jaw clenched momentarily. She masked any emotion except professionalism and bowed her head. "Please forgive my rudeness, but this second is not a good time. I must get this food to the table before my customers complain."

Miroku didn't trust the woman to come back right away, not with as busy as the place was. They had good food - he would know good Italian after all - and they weren't lacking clientele. "I suppose they were only trivial things." He looked away, scanning the area. "I was pondering why I never saw you in here before. This is one of my favorite restaurants."

That was just perfect; Sango didn't need him as a regular just because she worked here. "Well, it is a big district I guess."

Why she was being like this he didn't know. The first time they met, Miroku figured she was just stunned at seeing him again, but this was too much. He met her eyes, searching them. "Yes it is. But I've known about this place for quite a while now. How long have you been employed here?"

Why did he care? Sango shifted the food, praying someone would come out and take her away. She hoped he would take the hint, but he didn't let her go. "This is my second semester. Why do you ask?"

A brow rose. 'College?' This was getting interesting.

Before he could ask anything else, Sango cut him off. "Sir, I really must get this to the table. Your food will be up shortly and I will bring it to you."

He watched her head off, mystery and intrigue about her rising with each meter. Miroku pondered her behavior all the way back and even after he sat down, wondering why she would be so formal when they were on rather close terms. He wouldn't mind a date with her and maybe get to know her, but she wasn't making it easy to drop a proposal.

He was kind of confused. He didn't know how you could sleep with someone and then treat them like a total stranger. It was hard to do after seeing every inch of skin and feeling places not many could get access to. He would have to find a way to get an answer to quell his interest if he wanted to put her out of his mind. Especially now; he was supposed to be on a date.

-.-.-.-

Sango managed to avoid much more talk with the man and breathed a sigh of relief when they left. She finished out the remaining time as if a weight was taken off her shoulders.

When her shift ended, Sango immediately changed and folded everything in her bag. She waved goodbye to some of the cooks and servers who had some time left and exited. She took the first train back to the hotel and was back in no time. Kaede-obaasan greeted her at the desk, informing her of her time to get ready and a few details on who she would be with. Sango took it in and left to get ready.

She finished in no time and had nothing to do for at least twenty minutes. Her hair was drying from the bath and other than towel drying it, the only thing left was homework. Sango felt too anxious to study, but she had to do something. Kohaku's letter came to mind, but Sango immediately rejected the idea. His letters always tended to sway her emotions to places no one needed to see them go and she would be no good for the man if she read it.

Sango dug the envelope from the stack of books on her table, sitting and staring at it. Her eyes softened as she stared at his handwriting, heart panging. How she missed her baby brother...she would have to find a free day to spend with him soon. She missed the only family she had left.

0-

The city was so noisy at night. It was also too bright. Sango could barely see the stars from the hotel roof. She frowned as she tried to search, finally giving up and switching the flashlight on. No one was up here except the laundry; she had the whole place to herself.

Fixing the towel around her hair, Sango shivered a little against the chill of night. Her skin had yet to dry from the second bath after being with that man, though part of her was insistent to be alone and let everything out of her system.

0-

_Aneue,_

_Are you well? I am doing okay. School is hard and cram schools keep me busy, but I'm getting good grades._

_How are your classes doing? Is college keeping you just as busy? Hope you don't get too stressed out with that and all your jobs. I hope you don't work too hard just for my benefit. I received your payment for rent on time. Thank you for your continual help._

_I miss you aneue. I hope to be able to spend time with you sometime soon._

_Kohaku_

0-

Sango's eyes squeezed shut as tears lined them. Thankfully she was already seated or the will to stand would've left her a while ago and it would be a painful landing. Arms went around her legs, hand carefully clutching the paper against the wind. She quietly wept for want to see him and joke with him and try to teach him something about life that she already went through.

'Kohaku...I miss you too.' How she loved her ototo. He was all she had in this world after their father died. Her mother died when she was young, when Kohaku was still a baby. She took care of him afterward to help their father who worked for them. Then he passed and Sango took it upon herself as the elder and closest relative to work.

A hand finally rose and wiped her face, sniffling a few times. She took a few breaths to compose herself and stared at her mail. Now more than before she wanted to make time to spend with him. This isolation was getting worse and though she made him move to the center of Tokyo, she hated being away from him like this. Part of her was ashamed to see his sweet face, but part of her couldn't believe she would put herself through this.

Tomorrow...tomorrow she would surely look through her calendar and check for the next holiday that would let out of college and his upper secondary school(6). She would plan on a district to take him shopping and general window-shopping and spend the day together.

But right now, she was tired. It must be past midnight and she had classes in the morning.

**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner, so if these are not 100 correct, please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page and a dictionary to learn from. This spot dedicated to new vocabulary only.**

**Translations: **Ohayou-(Good) morning **(many ways to say this)** - Ne-Right/huh/etc **(used a lot in Japan, doesn't really have an exact meaning)** - Ohayou nasai-(Good) morning **(more polite)**

Ee-Like hai - Hongo-Campus housing the graduate school of medical science - Akamon-Red gate **(one of the many entrance gates)** - Bento-Box lunch - Mou-Sheesh/geez

Gyoen-Imperial garden - Nakama-Company/fellow/colleague/associate/comrade/etc - Aneue-Older sister **(old-fashioned way of saying)** -

**Having done much research, this story will be highly Japanese orientated and probably confusing at points. Numbers at the end of sentences will describe the whole sentence, while numbers next to a word will describe only that. If any of these are wrong, please correct me.**

1:That was an overstatement though, because Hongo campus was HUGE and Sango always took the campus shuttle to weave around everything just to get to the outskirts.: http/www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/campusmap/cam010202e.html and http/www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/campusmap/map0102e.html Links to Hongo campus.

2:All she needed was practice and the harder she studied, the better she would be when she got out there.: I've tried to figure out a nursing degree and it turns out it's not like a regular arts and sciences degree. You take the classes and you're either a CNA, LPN, RN, etc. Degrees don't really come into play, but for s's-n-g's, they do here.

3:Men paid the standard fifteen thousand set down years ago by Kikyou-sama and Kaede-obaasan.: 15,000 yen with an exchange rate of 107 (currently) is almost $139.36. Seems a little expensive, but some places can charge what they want. :shrugs:

4:La Boheme was classy and Sango liked the setup - plus it was in Shinjuku.: An actual Italian restaurant as it is in the story. Don't know what the Italian means though. http/ (Second down)

5:why bother wasting perfectly good food which would only be thrown away: My friend used to be a waitress. She says that the waiters/waitresses snack on the meals brought back because they were made wrong (finicky tastes) during breaks or free time because they'll just get thrown away anyway.

6:upper secondary school: The Japanese educational system is divided into five basic levels: kindergarten, elementary school (six years), lower secondary school (three years), upper secondary school (three years), and university (usually around four years). This corresponds to the American kindergarten, elementary school, junior high/middle school, high school and college.


	10. 10: Late April

Kagome loved making breakfast for everyone. She didn't deem it a problem at all to get up with the sun and cool morning instead of sleeping in a warm bed for an extra hour or so. Someone had to make it and she considered herself quite good, even if she was nervous about the result each morning whether everyone would or wouldn't like it. Everyone needed a roll in the hotel and Kagome regarded this as hers.

It was fun to teach Sango-chan whenever her friend offered to help. Kagome felt a little bad for making the busy woman get up with her by setting the alarm so she would have breakfast on the table without fail and even worse when Sango-chan wanted to help. This was more often now that the sun was coming out earlier and the weather was warmer. No matter what reassurance Sango-chan gave, Kagome still didn't feel better about the matter.

It was a perk to be able to leave the balcony door open now and Kagome took advantage whenever it was beautiful weather outside. She knew it was only proper to ask, since it would readjust the temperature in most of the floor, but there was inside shoji to close if she was really worried about it.

She settled into quite the routine in the last eight years. She almost didn't need the alarm, since she made breakfast practically since the beginning. It comforted her to know she had an important place, since not many could cook as well as she could. Though Kagome believed herself past intermediate level, she never voiced that for fear of seeming egotistical.

She set the table today, serving her hostess a cup of tea like always - why Kikyou-sama got up so early when she didn't have to was still a mystery to her - and started cleaning up to a stopping point. Sango entered, fully dressed and awake and they exchanged good morning. She smiled at the woman's mild gripe for not being able to help, not saying anything in return.

Rin-chan accompanied Kaede-obaasan upstairs and the elder was helped onto her zabuton. Kagome had that duty to assist the old woman long ago, then Sango as the youngest. Kaede-obaasan wasn't too happy about needing help despite being only forty-two, but she had bad joints and everyone - even Kikyou-sama, though no one would know it by looking at her - didn't want her to strain herself more than she had to. Due to a harsh life during her childhood, Kaede-obaasan looked older than she actually was.

Eating was quiet as always. Sango-chan soon stood to take off for classes and she offered to take care of the dishes. She didn't mind picking up, since she started it. Everyone exchanged goodbyes and her friend was out of sight. Kagome finished eating and refilled the teapot for everyone, pouring the owners another cup.

After waiting until everyone noticeably finished, Kagome made to start piling dishes for the kitchen sink when a movement caused her to pause and look to the owner.

"Before you take care of that, I would like to discuss something with you, Kagome and Rin." Said pair immediately gave full attention, though the woman's voice wasn't that grave sounding. "We will work on a few things today for your training. Be sure you have nothing important to take care of for the next few hours and meet me in the living section."

The two nodded as they both made for the dishes. "Ah, Kagome-san please let me bring these to you. I will also help dry and put away to make time go faster."

Kagome nodded and filled the cups to allow for time before standing and heading to the other room. She inhaled fresh air and smiled at the pleasant feel it gave her. Minutes later she was up to elbows in suds with Rin-chan next to her. The pair had everything cleaned up and Kagome went to tidy the eating area while Rin-chan finished putting the dishes away.

The pair soon sat on zabuton across from their oneesan geisha(1) in the center of the room. A few closed boxes and paper sat in easy reach behind the geisha. Kikyou eyed them before feeling they were ready to give full attention and wouldn't miss anything. It'd been at least a week since the last lesson and she hoped they didn't forget anything. Even if they did, she would begin the lessons with the normal beginning to remind them of what they were getting themselves into with such modern times.

"Geisha have existed in Japan for close to a thousand years. We are artists; every movement of our body in a dance, every tone of our voice in a song should be perfected. We excel in the traditional arts of music, natural beauty, conversation, and word. We are entertainers and, despite popular myth, NOT prostitutes."

"Today creates a problem for our lifestyle, since many will not pay the amount we charge to entertain them. This modern world and western ideals have tossed us aside, save for some people and businesses. It is for them that we continue to learn things thought to be old-fashioned and not necessary nowadays. Geisha are a handful in Japan these days - our homeland." Kikyou met both pairs of eyes for a second in all seriousness. "You can only be a full geisha if you are truly serious to have it as a profession. It isn't all conversation and drinking games though."

"To survive, we have adapted with each society and the way things are. We still learn all the arts classified with our profession, even if we might not use them. One must be ready if a customer requests a certain talent from you. These customers are your source of income, so you should give them proper respect and the best of your talents. Even if there is something you know of and do not show, you should still have knowledge of it. Whether you do or not will show in conversation so it is better to skip foolishness."

Kikyou reached around and slid two cases to the pair, grabbing hers and pulling it to her side. "We will practice on a number of items to see how much you remember. Most of this is old, so I will be disappointed if either of you forgot."

Both maiko opened the clasps containing their shamisen and set hands in their laps again. They knew not to go too fast or far ahead and assume they knew how this lesson would go. They were students, not teachers.

"Kagome, I want you to assemble your shamisen for me and tune it. I will know if it is off or not, but you should be able to know the chords by now. Rin, when she has finished to my satisfaction, you will do the exact same thing."

When their sensei finished talking and brown looked to brown, Kagome bent forward and gathered the first pieces to construct. Shamisen wasn't new to her, having practiced it for a few years now, and in no time she had it correctly put together and was strumming the three strings.

Kikyou nodded when her gaze met with her students. Kagome had no difficulties and it showed in her confidence with construction and amount of tuning. Brown looked to the younger. "Rin, if you would please."

Rin gulped and pulled the first pieces out. She told herself not to get nervous in front of her oneesan, although the woman was one to awe. She greatly respected Kikyou-sama and didn't want to screw up in front of her. She practiced all this before, so none of it was new. She even made up a song on her shamisen, though she was too shy and embarrassed to tell anyone. It was a secret known only to her and she would perfect it for practice.

Kikyou-sama only started teaching her half a year ago after she proved herself along the way. Rin didn't know if she had what it took to be such a prestigious entertainer, but she wanted to be a geisha. She loved the beautiful kimono and how they moved when they danced and aspired to do the same.

Kikyou finally nodded when the younger maiko finished. Rin seemed a little sluggish, but most of it was in her eyes; the girl had no problem otherwise. She just needed confidence and that would come with time. Turning to her shamisen, Kikyou moved it closer for easier access. "Very good you two. Watch my face as I assemble mine and see if you can detect anything that shouldn't be there."

The two looked at each other in confusion, but nodded and carefully eyed porcelain skin and dark eyes for anything. Kikyou-sama's face lacked expression, as if she was a doll. They could see from forehead to chin, but no skin creased or eyes change.

Kikyou looked at them when she finished tuning. "Did you find anything?"

The two thought, but shook their heads. "Nothing Kikyou-sama. There was no expression on your face and your eyes didn't widen or narrow."

Kikyou nodded. "That is the correct answer. Rin, when you put your guitar together, your brow furrowed a little in confusion and your lips puckered just a little as you concentrated. Kagome, your posture slips a tiny bit. No one knows they do these things until they have someone tell them. One of the hardest things is to mask emotion and when to show it. You could give someone the wrong idea or offend them by doing something with your face that you don't even know."

Kagome knew she wouldn't be able to do that. One thing that she could never master was the mask Kikyou-sama had. That came from so many years of experience and Kagome planned to worry about that last...unless she was in front of her oneesan.

"Now that you have assembled your shamisen, I want you to repeat these chords as I play them. This will help your ear and memory, since these are standard." Kikyou waited until the pair had everything situated before grabbing the plectra.

The trio practiced for almost half an hour before Kikyou instructed them to take apart their instruments and set everything against the wall. She then pushed two smaller cases forward and waited until they had the lids open. "Next is shakuhachi. None of this is new so you should have no troubles. Situate yourselves in the proper stances; Kagome you are first, Rin you are after."

Kagome checked her legs, spine, and head position to make sure they were correct. If the head was too bent, it could restrict the air pipe, as would too high. Her legs needed to be in a comfortable position underneath her to keep them from being felt if they went numb. It was hard to sit like she was and NOT have your feet get affected, so the best situation was to tolerate it. She grasped the flute and put fingers in ready position over the holes, putting her mouth around and stopping.

She wasn't too much a fan of shakuhachi. It made about the same melody for traditional music, but she didn't like the position as opposed to shamisen. Shamisen allowed for a more bent spine to look at it if need be. Even though she didn't love it, she still had a lot of practice and knew how things should be.

Kikyou nodded. "Raise your left elbow a few centimeters and you will have it. Good. Rin, your turn."

Rin hadn't done too much, though she watched her senpai play on a few occasions. It was hard not to watch Kikyou-sama when she played because the woman seemed a natural at it. She tried to remember the instruction on posture and made to fix her legs. She took care to keep emotion from her face as told.

Kikyou stared in contemplation when brown met brown. Finally, she got up and stood behind the girl and kneeled. "Don't move or you will throw your pose out." She knew her sudden coming over would startle the maiko, but it was necessary to double-check Rin's back. A hand parted the shoulder blade-length mass and pressed a finger at the end of the neck. She ran it to the bottom of the spine since one couldn't see very well a beginner's spine position. "Sit up a little straighter."

Rin did as told, trying not to feel like she was doing everything wrong. She was less experienced with shakuhachi than shamisen and much of her knowledge was mimicking but back posture wasn't easy to get. She tried to pay attention over her nervousness so she would get this right next time.

Kikyou shifted to the side, eyeing the chin angle. She nodded. "Remember this pose - it is how you should always sit." She shifted to her zabuton and quickly got into the needed pose. "I will again play some basic notes and you two will mimic them to test your ear."

Another length of time was spent before Kikyou had them put their instruments away. She instructed one to bring the small table over and set a stack of paper on it. Two wood clasps were slid from cloth holds and the top moved. "Next is calligraphy. I hope the two of you have been practicing in your spare time."

The two looked in appreciation at the extensive set. Three different colored brushes, a brush holder, black ink, red ink, a grinder for the black ink, and a small vial for water. The brush handles were wood and the holders were porcelain with the vial in glass. It sat on a red velvet backdrop with cloth Chinese pattern on the outside. It was very beautiful and must've cost a good sum. From the look of the velvet and stain on the grinder, Kikyou-sama owned this for a number of years.

"For now we will use my brushes. I have written a number of words for you to practice and I will monitor your progress as you create each one. Remember, calligraphy is an ancient art that samurai took as a class for prestige. It is not merely handwriting - it is a talent once you practice long and hard enough."

That was easier said than done. They all knew one could earn a living doing calligraphy, but those people were considered masters in their craft and so many people would never reach that level. It was enough to be even intermediate level and have the basics down.

The two stared at the list, noting that even Kikyou-sama's regular handwriting was good. There were no bad lines or shakiness, even in modern ballpoint pen. Almost every character she put down had to have at least ten strokes or more and the pair mentally groaned. They shouldn't have expected anything less really.

"Though you are not in kimono now, you should hold the brush as if wearing wide sleeves. Never let your arm droop and let anything you wear dip in the ink and smear your writing. Holding the brush right will make the best of the ink in the bristles. Kagome, get into proper posture, but don't dip your brush yet. Rin, you are after."

Whether she was being used as an example, Kagome didn't know because she never felt Rin-chan's attention. She figured because she had seniority, Kikyou-sama always had her go first. She did as told, at ease with calligraphy like shamisen and had hand and arm in the right spot first try. She liked the meditation calligraphy gave. You could tell a lot by just looking at someone's writing instead of what they were saying if you trained yourself to look right.

"Good. When Rin has finished, Kagome, begin the first character. You will follow her Rin and go down each in that pattern until I approve of every one. Wait for my okay after you finish. Make your characters large enough to read, but small enough to put a few on each page. Keep them in order so you have something to look at later."

It took even longer than music due to the length of time the two took to make each character and wait on their senpai to give the okay before beginning on another. The afternoon crept up and Kagome was finally released to get lunch ready for them while Kikyou-sama had Rin-chan put the instruments away.

0-

Kagome was almost done washing the remainder of the lunch dishes, Rin-chan drying, when footsteps sounded in the hallway. They were too loud to be Kikyou-sama's and too fast to be Kaede-obaasan's. Having known that step for years, Kagome greeted the owner with a smile as a head popped in sight. "Okaeri nasai Sango-chan."

"Tadaima." Sango returned, dropping her bag.

"How was class Sango-san?" Rin piped up, daring to enter the conversation between the two good friends.

"Long as usual. Kagome-chan, please tell me there is some of your fabulous cooking in the fridge."

Kagome chuckled and nodded. "I always make sure to have something for you in leftovers Sango-chan. I know you're busy and don't have time to make it yourself."

Sango smiled, but it told of her knowledge and that she wasn't proud of that fact. "What would I do without you Kagome-chan?"

"Kagome, Rin, if you have finished the dishes, we will begin the next set. Sango, please remember to pick your bag from the floor before you leave the kitchen."

"Hai Kikyou-sama." They chorused.

Sango said it with less enthusiasm than the others, giving an openly irritated look into the fridge with her head safely hidden by the door. She didn't care if her younger roommates saw, Kagome-chan especially, but she didn't want issues with her hostess.

Kagome made to clean the sink before leaving while Rin-chan put the rest of the dishes away. "You have work tonight Sango-chan?"

"Yup. Same hours like normal. I'll study when I get home, so let me know when you want to go to bed, ne?"

"Un. Okay, Rin-chan? I'm finished here."

Rin turned and nodded and the pair headed out with a farewell to their friend. They headed into the same room upon instruction and looked at a stack of books. A few had western lettering and the two struggled to read them. The kanji on some others was hard to read sideways, but still discernable and the pair quietly sighed at the next lesson.

Kikyou soon entered and began again, this time with language. "Japan has a lot of tourists and if you are ever to entertain a group of foreigners, you should know a few customs and sayings. Language is taught in school, so some of this should be familiar to you both."

Kagome resisted clenching her jaw. She tried to keep all emotion from her face and let that assumption remain true. She wouldn't be able to recall all of it since she was gone from school for so long, so was thankful the woman taught at the basic level and moved up.

The pair kept their attention straight ahead, but Rin had the same trouble hiding her emotions as her classmate. Let Kikyou-sama think that statement true.

Kagome knew quite a bit of Chinese from school and Kikyou-sama's teachings helped resurface most of it. She was high intermediate level with reading and intermediate with speech. As far as English...she was high beginner in everything. Though Chinese was entirely different from Japanese, she could read a Chinese newspaper and still grasp quite a bit of what was going on.

Rin felt bad for making Kikyou-sama teach on a lower level for her, but it was unmanageable. Her timing from Kagome-san was all off, but that didn't allow her private sessions due to lack of experience. She studied as much as possible in her spare time to catch up and read a lot of English and Chinese language books. She practiced the western alphabet to better her handwriting and was quite proud of how she advanced by herself.

Kikyou-sama would soon teach them Korean as soon as she knew enough of it. Koreans were the largest documented number of tourists, with English next. Chinese weren't that much despite it being close, but a lot of Chinese worked and lived here and if any wanted a party, it was important to know some of the language.

The three worked on that until dinner and the same thing repeated. Kagome cooked and Rin put everything away before going to help prepare with Sango at work. Kikyou let them go with the language for tonight. Tomorrow they would work on a few other things that needed more room.

-.-.-.-

A bath was a glorious thing. Intense heat had the power to relax the tensest of muscles and melt away thought rather easily. Kagome put arms over the top of the furo and leaned her head against the wall, electing a happy sigh.

"Hard day Kagome-chan?"

Kagome hummed a general acknowledgement, not having the power to open her eyes, let alone raise her towel-wrapped head. "Ee. I've still got verbs and sentence structure swarming through my brain. I fear the day I start learning Korean."

Sango smiled and shifted a little in the large tub. It could hold four people if everyone sat with legs against their chest, two quite comfortably on either side of each other...so long as one didn't mind the faucet. "It can't be that bad. I learned some English in upper secondary school after seeing so many signs pop up and it was hard, but I feel so much better being able to read it. And they say once you learn one language, everything else is easy."

"You're right Sango-chan...I'm just too mentally exhausted to accept it right now. I'd rather stick to learning dance and instruments. Those are a lot easier as far as instruction."

Sango grinned and looked out the balcony shoji. The night was mildly warm and the room was high up enough to allow for good privacy, so the pair decided to let some fresh air in with all the steam. She gave a quiet sigh from the relaxing heat and steam and how it washed away the day.

The two soon decided their fingers were wrinkly enough and stood. Being closer to the closet, Sango grabbed a towel for each and they were dried and in a sleeping yukata hanging next to the other shoji. Kagome set the towels in a hamper to be taken care of in the morning. She had laundry to do either today or tomorrow, so she would let it sit overnight for now.

The two got out their futon and Kagome let Sango-chan get under the covers before switching the light off. She yawned and felt her way to the mattress. "I think I'll sleep well tonight."

Sango smiled and turned to her friend. "Me too. It's got to feel later than it actually is. Or I must be more tired than I think."

Kagome pulled covers to her chest and sighed as she started to slip into familiar sleep almost immediately. "Oyasumi Sango-chan."

"Oyasumi Kagome-chan."

-.-.-.-

_It was dark and raining. It was coming down with such force that it almost hurt. It was cold and it made the rain sting, even though it didn't hit skin. She cursed herself for not being able to bring an umbrella with. She wouldn't get far in this weather, but the heavens opened up so suddenly, she didn't have a place to find shelter to wait it out._

_It was late and almost nothing was open right now. Was it midnight? One? She didn't know...she only knew she was cold and tired and a little hungry. Her bangs kept getting into her eyes and they were too plastered to be wiped away easily._

_She had to get out of this weather before it made her sick. She had no means of healing herself if that happened and then she would definitely be a goner. But so many wouldn't allow such a bedraggled girl like herself in, let alone try to find cover under a tree in their yard. She was out of options. She didn't even know where she was stumbling to - she just kept going west in hopes of disappearing in a larger area. If she let them find her, surely there would be hell to pay._

_He would be so mad, but she could deal if that ever came about. Truthfully, part of her - the worn out, tired, and dirty part - wanted to be found. She wanted a warm bed, a hot bath, good meal, friends, and family around her. Right now she was alone and in some district she didn't even know the name of. Her shoes and clothes were soaked and it was hard to lift her head with the mane of hair on her back._

_She should turn back...she should forget this stubbornness she possessed and go home. But she came so far, what good would all this suffering do if she turned tail due some harsh weather? She wouldn't give in to his demands - this was her life, not his. As much as she loved him, it shocked her so much that he would try to control her like this._

_She stumbled over something, not seeing it, but only trying to keep from falling. It could've been a piece of trash, a stray branch, a crack in the street for all she knew. Arms flailed as she tilted to one side, shoulder banging against what felt like concrete. She weakly cried out, not having the energy to keep herself from slumping to the ground._

_When her head thumped on the sidewalk, she lost all will to keep moving. She'd been traveling for some time...the day for sure. She ran out of money a while ago and was forced to walk, which was not a good idea since she was by herself and open to attack by perverts. She grabbed what she had for allowance, but that was a few thousand at best._

_The rain still fell despite her predicament and her head rose. She stared at the concrete around bangs, knowing she could possibly freeze to death like this, even though it was mid spring. Though she had jeans and a long-sleeve shirt on, they were useless for heat._

_Slowly, she picked herself to sitting position and took a look around. No one was on the street in such a downpour, but it was the rainy season after all. No one saw her fall and tried to offer assistance, which was a good and bad thing. She wouldn't mind a little kindness, but answers would only get her shipped to Asakusa(2)._

_Struggling to her knees, she used a concrete wall as a balance and ambled down the sidewalk. She stopped when the wall stopped, giving way to a bamboo gate. Dull brown looked inside the yard, assessing the area and seeing a porch. There was an overhang where rain wasn't reaching and her eyes widened. She stared at the almost nonexistent yard, pondering whether she wanted to enter someone else's property for cover. A crack of lightening helped her decide and she pushed the gate aside, closing it behind her._

_It was quaint little setup. A few stones led to the genkan, which was oddly open right now. Her eyes locked on wood paneling, not allowing herself to think of consequences. She was going on lack of sleep and lack of comfort, a little rest couldn't hurt._

_She plopped down on the panel, feeling bad for dripping on their entryway and stared into the blackness. Not even streetlights could pierce much of anything in this gloom._

_She had no clue how long she sat there. Somewhere in her fading conscious, voices and laughter beat the rain in her ears and dominated. Someone was in this building, whatever it was, and coming closer._

_She tried to stand and found the will even worse than during her fall. It was like the wood sapped everything she relied on. Hands pressed against floor to help boost her up, but her legs were unsteady and she gripped the doors for balance. A quiet noise sounded and she felt something around her fingers. Upon looking to it found her fingers in the center of shoji, puncturing the delicate paper. She mutely grimaced, pulling her hand to safety._

_"Who are you? What are you doing out in this weather?"_

_She panicked and whirled around. Her legs gave out and she fell to the ground with a cry, landing hard on her rear and using her elbows on instinct to stop her fall._

_"Hold on a second. The poor thing doesn't look right. See? She looks ill."_

_"Of course she would. I'd be ill if I was out in this horrible rain too. What is your name? Are you in trouble?"_

_She tried to make eye contact with the voices, but they were too loud. Her eyes squeezed shut as she made to stand. She swayed, arms extending to balance her._

_"Please come inside. It's not good for you to be out here right now."_

_"Look...ookami, this girl broke your door."_

_"It is nothing. Please ojou-san, come inside."_

_She took a step backward, but someone was faster and grasped her arm. "You heard the okami...you should come inside."_

_"Mr. president, please don't be too harsh with her. It was a mistake. She looks sick after all."_

_She tried to look up to the one holding her, but the rain wouldn't allow it. She squinted as much as possible, soon giving up. The hold on her arms was tight and warm. It was like a switch threw at feeling strong warmth. Her legs gave out as she felt a wave of dizziness so abrupt, she couldn't fight it. Part of her didn't want to fight it and her body became lax, caught by surprise. The last thing she heard was erupting shouts of surprise and talking all at once._

_"Ojou-san!"_

_"Mr. president, please bring her inside at once and we will get you dried off. Please."_

_"What in the world could've happened to her?"_

_"We'll know once she wakes up."_

-.-.-.-

Brown eyes shot open, staring at dark, white ceiling. She sat up and looked around, almost panicky. It took a second to realize where she was and after that, her walls crumpled.

Hands covered her face as her eyes burned. She shook a little, huddling to her legs as if for protection against her memories...a past she wanted to forget. It'd been some time since she had dreams like that. Why one came now was confusing, but she sometimes dreamt about home...sometimes when something triggered it.

It seemed so long ago, it seemed like all that chaos happened to someone else. Thinking on it like this after so many years, she always recognized how stupid and foolish she was. The folly of youth was a hard thing to grasp; one never thought they were doing something wrong. She barely did and look where it landed her.

She sat up, unable to sleep anymore. She couldn't take the chance of dreaming something like that again. Wiping her face clean, she snuck a look at her roommate and hope she didn't wake her. Sango-chan needed all the sleep she could get.

With a sigh, Kagome shuffled from the comforter and made for shoji. She quietly slid it open and inhaled cool night weather, resting arms on the balcony. She stared into the bright lights of Tokyo, staring at what she wondered was east.

Looking toward Asakusa.

This was home now. The place she once called home she could not go back to. Not after what she originally did...not after her time in a whorehouse. That's what this place was, no matter what fancy name it was given to soften the truth.

Kagome sighed and looked to the ground. It seemed far below. She leaned down and rested her head on her arms, staring at the city line and tall buildings blocking some of the view. It was a clear night and the moon was almost full, giving light to help see. She remained in that position for a long time, soon sitting and leaning against the wall. Part of her acknowledged the open shoji, and she shifted to close it.

Kagome startled at seeing a pair of eyes in the darkness. It creeped her out until she was aware of who they belonged to. Without expression or word, Kagome finished closing the door and resumed her sitting position to stare at the moon.

Sango mutely sighed when the door stopped and darkness swarmed again. She stared at the door, wondering if Kagome-chan would really stay outside all night. It wasn't good for her health and she didn't want her friend getting sick.

The crying woke her - though she was always a somewhat light sleeper. Sango's first instinct was to go and comfort her friend, but Kagome-chan making direct eye contact with her and still closing the door like that said she wanted to be alone. That she didn't want any help in dealing with this.

This was the enigma part of her friend. This wasn't the first time Kagome-chan woke up and cried in the middle of the night either. She never reached out for comfort or assistance, always handling it by herself. Sango felt so frustrated sometimes because she wanted to help, but didn't want to force herself on someone emotionally unstable like that. She didn't want to be pushed away and isolated for trying to lend a hand...which it was possible for a person to do in time of grief.

She would give it a bit and then go out. She didn't want Kagome-chan sleeping outside. Even for almost May, it wasn't the right temperature to survive outside in only sleeping yukata. She would let her friend deal with whatever demons were plaguing her and then get up. Until then, all she could do was try to remain awake.

**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner, so if these are not 100 correct, please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page and a dictionary to learn from. This spot dedicated to new vocabulary only.**

**Translations: **Okaeri nasai-Welcome home - Tadaima-Here I am/I'm home! - Un-Like hai - Oyasumi-Good night - Okami-Mistress/landlady/hostess/proprietress

**Having done much research, this story will be highly Japanese orientated and probably confusing at points. Numbers at the end of sentences will describe the whole sentence, while numbers next to a word will describe only that. If any of these are wrong, please correct me.**

1:oneesan geisha: When a geisha takes a maiko (trainer geisha) under her wing, the maiko calls that geisha oneesan. Kaede uses this term back in chapter 3, but she's the elder by birth, so this means she was also a maiko once upon a time. Details on that will follow later.

2:Asakusa: A district in Tokyo that's kind of north east to Shinjuku. It's almost on the opposite side of Tokyo from Shinjuku too.


	11. 11

Spring was so nice. Clear mornings had that mix of fresh air and cool breeze with sunshine to keep warm. Kagome liked spring; it always made her feel so refreshed and active - she couldn't get enough of this kind of weather. Right around sunrise was the perfect time to be outside. She could stay out here all day, but it promised to be another sunny, mildly warm one.

It was a perfect time to get some laundry done. Since the lines were on the roof - no better place to dry laundry really - it was a trick sometimes. Winter was hard and they had an indoor dryer for too cold temperatures, but warmer weather saved electricity. Kagome didn't mind doing laundry, just like she didn't mind making meals. Busy work was a good thing and she felt helpful, even with such menial tasks.

There wasn't much of a wind, so Kagome finished draping clothes quickly. She would check on everything in an hour to see how they faired. Grabbing the empty basket, she brought it to a storage closet and stopped upon hearing footsteps. Curious at who would be making such noise so soon after breakfast, Kagome headed upstairs. She easily followed the sounds to her room and peeked inside. She blinked and stepped past the threshold. "S - Sango-chan?"

Sango startled and dropped the clothing she was picking up. "Ah, Kagome-chan...was there something you needed? Is it about the noise? I'm sorry I was making so much - I'm in a hurry."

Raven furrowed in a funny look as Kagome watched her friend try to hang up clothes. "You're heading out today?" She stepped forward to help at seeing her friend fumble with a shirt. "Let me help Sango-chan. It might help you get out of here sooner."

Sango sighed and nodded. "Thanks Kagome-chan." A smile lit her face, hands clenching in excitement. "I'm just so excited! I finally get to spend a day of fun now that finals are over!"

"Heh? So that's the reason behind the fuss, ne? Well I'm glad you can take a break now Sango-chan. You deserve it for all the hard work each semester."

Sango nodded in agreement. She didn't have too much free time due to summer classes starting soon, but until then she would gladly use her morning and afternoon for something she wanted for once.

"So what're you going to go do Sango-chan?"

Sango's smile slipped a notch. She hadn't said a word to anyone about today because it was too personal to share - even to Kagome-chan. She didn't want to mix this place with family as much as possible and though she didn't say words, she had a feeling her hostesses knew exactly what she was intending. A hand rose and fiddled with a loose strand of hair. "Ah, well...I thought of going to another district and maybe shop a little with someone."

Kagome's brow rose. The way her friend seemed timid and almost shy about giving an answer made her suspicions rise. "Oh? A FRIEND, ne?" Kagome smiled.

Sango blinked and shook a hand at the insinuation. "Ah - nothing like that, no, no! It's nothing really! I have to get going if I want to meet him on time."

Kagome stepped back and watched her friend. "Him?"

Fear of digging herself into a hole, Sango pasted on a grin and grabbed her backpack she stuffed some things inside for today. "Nothing like that I swear! I really must go Kagome-chan. Gomen!"

Kagome nodded, letting her friend off the hook, though she was still bemused. Why was Sango-chan like that? It was so strange.

"Really...I know that girl is in a hurry, but running down the stairs is a bad idea."

Kagome blinked and stuck her head into the hallway. "Eh? Kikyou-sama? You know where Sango-chan is going?"

Kikyou looked down the hall and nodded. "Sango cleared her work schedule today. Said she wanted to make time for her ototo."

Again, Kagome's brow rose. 'Eh? Kohaku-kun?' Why didn't her friend just say that then? Why did she make it sound like she had a date? 'Sango-chan...' Kagome stared down the hallway, ignoring when Kikyou-sama disappeared into her room. Her brow furrowed a little when one point came up. Sango-chan told Kikyou-sama who she would be with, but not her. She couldn't help but feel a little hurt that Sango-chan couldn't be honest.

These were the times she felt a little alienated from her friend. They didn't know everything about each other that was true, but she knew almost nothing about her friend's ototo. She would like to, but didn't ask for information she knew wouldn't come. For some reason, Sango-chan was uneasy to speak of him. Of course she wouldn't bring him around; Kagome could understand that much. She wouldn't want to bring her family and stain the image they held of her.

Part of her tried to sympathize and not get upset. After all, she didn't share her life before the hotel with Sango-chan, so she shouldn't expect much else. It was good enough that they got along so well for having different personalities and sharing a room. She couldn't be greedy and hypocritical at the same time.

Kagome shook her head and forced a smile. She turned to the room to finish straightening to clothes her friend didn't finish.

-.-.-.-

"Nee, aneue."

"What is it Kohaku?"

"Is it okay that I get this?"

Sango looked over at the item held up and smiled. "I told you Kohaku. This is your day. If you want something, I will buy it for you." Her eyes closed with a smile. "How often does your aneue get to buy you something that you want?"

"You give me enough of your money as it is aneue..." Youthful brown eyes stared at the manga in his hands. "Is this really okay?" Of course this was the latest issue of a manga he was saving up for, but he couldn't tell his sister he spent money buying comics.

Sango's eyes rolled. She put the book in her hands back and stopped in front of her brother. A hand rested on his shoulder as she took the volume from him. Brown momentarily stared at it. "You're interested in this stuff right? It's not too much that I can't buy you this. You have other volumes don't you?"

Kohaku looked away and nodded. He would have to be truthful here for her sake. If he lied and said he had none, she would end up buying more, he just knew she would. "Actually...I have them all."

Sango smiled. "It's settled then." Without letting him get another defense in, Sango took the mini novel to the front to pay for it. She would get herself something from another bookstore. She was interested in the book she put away, but could always buy it later - the important thing right now was to spoil her baby brother as much as possible and that required haste. If she went back, he might try to take the manga from her and not let her pay for it. She wouldn't have that - today was their day and if she wanted to get him a gift, she would do so.

The pair waited for sliding doors to open. Sango stepped to one side and handed him the bag. "Hai kore."

Kohaku took it with a bowed head and sheepish smile. "Arigatou aneue."

Sango ruffled his hair affectionately, heart swelling as they walked in pace. How she missed this! It seemed forever since they joked and lightly bickered and hung out together. They always got along well despite the lack of a full family, but Sango surmised that being Kohaku's surrogate mother helped their closeness. She had to admit, the want to spoil him like a mother spoiled their child wasn't too far apart.

The day was perfect for taking a stroll and window-shopping. They walked from the train station to a trail of shops. Sango didn't come here often because she didn't have time, but it was fun to see everyone and the styles of today. She didn't adhere to fashion because she couldn't blow cash that easily, but was always curious. Hongo campus saw some latest trends, but Harajuku was sometimes called Tokyo's teenager town.(1) This district catered to young people and by the sheer numbers swarming all over, Sango could see that.

It didn't take long with so much looking and walking that a stomach was going to rumble. Kohaku's did first and Sango saved him with hers a minute later as they tried to decide where to eat lunch. There were plenty of places around with different ethnicities as well. Sango let Kohaku choose since it was his day. The only problem was, he couldn't decide what it was he wanted.

Sango sighed and turned to scan the area for anything to name off. It didn't help to stand around in the stream of people and block the walkway for who knew how long. She searched for a few seconds before brown widened and her breath hitched. Adrenaline and fear suddenly hit her like a sledgehammer and Sango froze. She couldn't even mask her emotions to keep Kohaku from looking, but her brother slowly fazed from her mind at the sight walking a few meters away...slowly coming in their direction.

As always, she forgot the name. She never bothered to remember of course. But she knew his character. Why someone of his stature would be walking around at a place like this was beyond her, but the group of people his age, also in suits, gave her a clue. It WAS the normal lunchtime after all and he was probably with his other co-workers going out. Or perhaps it was a business lunch meeting. Either way, it was only a matter of seconds before that man spotted her and then her cover would be blown.

Sango would try to hide herself, but she couldn't suddenly drag Kohaku off the streets into any random building without explanation and him discover something was up. Being young and innocent to most of life's more nefarious things, Sango guessed he might presume wrong, but she didn't want him assuming anything.

"Aneue? Aneue...is something wrong?"

"Ah, Kohaku...I think I left my wallet at the bookstore we were at. Can you see if it's still there please?"

Kohaku sighed and shook his head. "Really aneue. That's not like you to be so absentminded."

They were coming closer. Sango grit her teeth for a second, whirling to her brother before she could stop herself and slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Kohaku...please go get it for me. I'm afraid it would get stolen. I'll wait right here for you."

Kohaku's brow furrowed in concern for the change of attitude, but passing it off to her panic of losing all her money and information, Kohaku nodded and headed back the way they came.

Sango stood frozen and watched as Kohaku passed the group of businessmen without batting an eye. Her old client didn't pay him any mind and Sango visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Her shoulders slouched and she was so happy to know the man didn't see the resemblance to her that she forgot she was in their path.

"Eh? I know you don't I woman?"

Brown whipped to the voice, indignation flaring. Sure it was a simple word and it was what she was, but the way it was said made her blood boil. This man, this old client of hers, picked her because he liked her spirit. He had to be middle-aged with a receding hairline like that, but his eyes made him younger. He was definitely not attractive, physically and personality-wise. She could remember quite clearly the few times he asked for her after their first meeting and his horrible treatment. She could tell he was trying to break her by the way he laid with her and the way he made her feel after. She hated this man for his atrocious treatment and obvious dislike for women in general. She believed in more equality of the sexes after all.

"I'm talking to you woman." When she didn't answer, he stepped forward and grasped her chin to bring her face closer to his. The man's eyes crinkled as he smiled in almost malicious glee. "Yes, yes I do. I remember you now woman."

Though he hadn't been with her in many months, Sango feared giving the hotel a bad reputation now that he connected the lines. She debated whether to pull her face away or not, figuring he wouldn't allow himself to be so callous to a stranger in front of his colleagues. The man snorted and eventually released her, brushing his fingers along her cheek as he did. Sango fought to keep expression from her face, from gritting her teeth at the action.

"I missed you whore. I've been meaning to get back to that hotel and see you again, but work is a pain sometimes. I was hoping you and a few of your friends could entertain me and mine someday. Would you like that whore? You would I bet...you and those sisters charge enough just to have you under me."

Never had she felt so cheap in her life. The day was ruined and all Sango wanted to do was scrub herself clean of the man's face and his words. Her anger boiled and she openly glared, not caring that she was being rude to someone who so openly disrespected her. His companions were a few paces back, apparently giving him some space to not listen in, but she could tell a few heard some of his words by the raised brows and smiles.

She stepped back and glared him down, being about the same height. She poured all the hatred into her eyes, hoping he'd whither before her. The world would be so much better off with a snake like him gone.

"Oh? Still the same as you always were. I suppose I'm fine with that; your fiery spirit was what drew me in the first place." A hand shot out and grasped the back of her head, pulling her forward to let his lips get close to her ear. "I did so enjoy those few times I had you. Did you act compliant just for me, or did I start to teach you your place? I think from the way you carry your head, you need another lesson. Perhaps I should call Gachi-san again, hmm?"

Finally snapping from her shock, Sango put arms against his chest and pushed, but he was stronger than he looked. "Let GO of me." She hissed, not wanting to make a scene. There were too many people here and perhaps that was why the sleaze was being so forward. He didn't think she'd fight back. Sango couldn't afford to start shouting at this man in case Kohaku discovered her wallet was not at the bookstore and was on his way back already. It was actually safely in the back pocket of her jeans.

"Still fighting me little minx? Are you trying to tempt me in front of all these people?"

"I said LET GO of me!" She repeated, on the verge of shouting. She didn't care if she busted this man's eardrums if she had to scream into them. The thought was sorely tempting.

Sango's neck was hurting. She didn't think she'd ever get free until her training started coming back. She suddenly took a step forward, arm swinging up. The man was too surprised at her sudden retaliation and his grip was knocked away. Sango whirled to put some distance between them when a hand latched onto her arm.

"If you hurt me in any way I swear I'll have you thrown in jail for assault whore." The man hissed. "Nobody crosses me like you do and gets away with it."

"And perhaps I should charge YOU with assault Yarashii-san. Perhaps I should add emotional distress to a perfectly harmless and innocent girl as well?"

For the second time that day, Sango was shocked still. Her heart beat fast at the thought of yet another old client in the district, though this one seemed to be coming to her rescue. She could use the help to get out of this thing without using anymore Aikidou, but she didn't want the help of THIS man. She just wished they would all leave her alone! This was turning out to be a bad day.

Sango stepped back to release the tension on her arm and looked to the direction of his voice. The group involved looked over. "Eh? Enzen-san, what brings you to Harajuku?"

Miroku pushed the wire-rimmed glasses up higher and gave a stare to the man still grasping the poor girl's arm. "Lunch my good man. Everybody needs to eat Yarashii-san. I assume that's what you and your bunch were doing before you decided to start picking on innocent girls?"

Yarashii immediately dropped his hold and turned to Miroku. "This doesn't concern you Enzen-san so why don't you go finish your lunch and leave us in peace."

An empty smile appeared as Miroku stopped next to Sango and threw an arm around her shoulder. "I would do that, but you see I just can't. It brings out the lawyer side of me to see someone being done wrong. And it's not your day, since you are messing with my girlfriend Yarashii-san. I would take it as a personal insult and make sure you are put away for a few days. Just enough to damage your reputation in your business."

Yarashii stepped back, looking disgruntled, but definitely beaten. He looked away with a frown. "My apologies Enzen-san. I didn't know this whor - this woman was yours." The two met eyes for a second. "If I were you, I'd keep a better eye on her work habits."

The smile never slipped, though Miroku's hand tightened around Sango's shoulder. Sango, for her part, didn't even have time to be surprised at his insinuation of their dating life since it was the greatest lie that could get her out of this right now. She knew the best thing to do was not to say anything.

"I'll do that." Miroku tightly answered. "Good day Yarashii-san."

The group headed around the pair, giving each plenty of space with the threat still installed. Sango stood rigid in Miroku's hold, eyes following until they were out of her peripheral vision. She didn't dare turn her head, but she noticed her partner in crime did and spared him a look. Her eyes widened to see him with a serious stare. She was confused at the sudden save, let alone why he was here for lunch of all places. Didn't a man like him have work right about now?

The arm suddenly lifted and Sango took a step back. "They're gone." Miroku met her eyes, his brow creasing. "You don't want to make an enemy of any man who owns his own company."

Sango spared the direction they left a glance to find them out of sight. "I didn't want to see him in the first place, nor did I want him to see me. I know his character without you needing to tell me about him. He's a vile man and I hate him."

Miroku hummed. "Even so, you might have gotten thrown in jail if I weren't here. I've had that man as a client and I had to deal with him in the past. He's not the easiest to get along with." Miroku spared her a more thorough look, hand going to her neck. "You're not hurt are you?"

Sango immediately stepped back, looking away in discomfort. "I'm fine - he didn't hurt me. I wouldn't let myself be taken down by the likes of him on a day like today anyway."

Miroku's brow furrowed. "Day like today..."

Sango's eyes widened yet again as she scanned the opposite direction. "Shimatta! I forgot all about him. Oh I hope he isn't in the area!"

Miroku stared in bemusement, too much at a loss for words to ask questions about what was going through this girl's head. Her distress concerned him and he was about to gather his courage and put himself into her business when she let out a gasp and stepped back. "What is it? Is there someone else after you?"

Sango's head shook as she tried to pick up her mind, eyes locked on the shaggy mop of hair heading her way. "N - no. Nothing like that." Sango whipped to Miroku, hands pushing at his chest. "You can't be here right now! I'm indebted to you for saving me, but please go away!"

Miroku's eyes widened as he tried to get his balance. This wasn't supposed to be happening - he saved the damsel in distress and now she was shoving him aside and telling him to get lost? He was hoping she would agree to go out with him. "What? What're you doing? Don't shove so hard!"

"Please go away - you can't be here." Sango repeated, urgent. She didn't want her worlds to merge! Who knew what would happen if questions started cropping up and this guy answered them honestly? Her secret would be thrown wide open and then her whole world would crash.

"What's gotten into you? Why're you doing this?"

"Aneue! I'm over here. Aneue!"

Miroku's brow furrowed. 'Aneue?'

Sango let out a little 'eep' and stepped back. Biting her lip in sudden thought, she grabbed the wallet from her back pocket and shoved it to her companion. "Take this! Take it and play along. I'll explain everything later, but please don't mention where you and I first met!"

Miroku took it on a reflex, staring at it dumbfounded. "I don't need your money for saving you. Your thanks is enough...and maybe a date later on?"

Sango met his eyes and charming smile in disbelief. Her mouth flew open to deny him, but she saw her brother getting within earshot. "Fine, I don't care. Just do as I say alright?"

Miroku grinned and nodded. He took the wallet and kept a firm grip on it as a young boy stopped next to the distraught girl. He started to decipher her problem and what was going on by watching their interactions, hoping to figure most of this out on his own to keep from being clueless.

"Aneue, the bookstore said they didn't have your wallet. I asked and had them check the lost and found, but they said no. Are you sure you lost it there? It's not in the street somewhere is it? We'll never find it that way."

Sango put on a smile and a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Kohaku. Actually...while you were gone I did a little looking around and this gentleman here came up to me. He said he saw the name inside and the picture which matched me." Sango gave Miroku a fake grateful look. "Thank you so much again sir for finding it."

Miroku mentally snapped to attention, giving a bow. "It was no problem ojou-san. I just couldn't leave a person like yourself to be so...harassed by the situation."

Sango's eyes widened in warning, trying to plead with them to him to keep his mouth shut. "Ah yes...you're too kind...I'm sorry, I'm horrible with names mister..."

"Enzen. Enzen Miroku. Do you mind if I call you Sango, Tsuyoi-san?"

He still remembered her name from their last encounter? Now she felt like an idiot. "E - ee."

Kohaku turned to his sister's savior and bowed. "Thank you very much for retrieving my sister's wallet. I would hate for her to lose all her possessions and money."

Sango smiled and wagged a finger at Kohaku. "You haven't even decided where we're going yet Kohaku. Oh!" Sango turned and extended a hand. "I'm sorry; you were just about to give me my wallet when Kohaku turned up. Excuse my lack of attention."

Miroku promptly handed it over as if it were no big deal, but smiled. "Nothing to forgive Sango. All will be forgiven if you introduce me to your friend."

That was the last thing Sango wanted to do, but she couldn't be rude to her savior in front of Kohaku. In a way, she was saved the trouble, because Kohaku did it for her.

"I'm Tsuyoi Kohaku, fifteen years old. I'm aneue's ototo."

"Heh? I guess that's no real surprise. You two look a lot alike."

Being told that he looked like the person he admired a lot, Kohaku beamed. "Eh? Hontouni?"

Miroku nodded and dropped a hand on Kohaku's shoulder. "I can see the family resemblance. Now what was this about deciding on something?"

"Aneue and I were going to have lunch and she let me pick the spot until she remembered she lost her wallet."

"Now Kohaku. Let's leave that embarrassing situation in the past now, ne?" Sango didn't need to be reminded of her blunder within a blunder. She was too busy trying to figure out how to get herself away from this Enzen Miroku.

Miroku grinned and sneaked a look to the quiet beauty. "Well that's exactly what I was doing as well. Why don't you two join me? Good old Japanese food."

"Eh? Is it okay? Aneue?"

Sango met Kohaku's questioning gaze, before staring at Miroku's mirthful look. Her eyes narrowed a little, trying to convey how unhappy she was with the situation. But she couldn't get out of this without hassle, so it was best to go with the flow. "If it is alright with Enzen-san."

"Please call me Miroku."

Only for a little while she would. Only in front of her brother. "Hai, Miroku. If it is alright with you."

"Splendid. This way please."

The place turned out to be an indoor / outdoor café. Sango at least had her answer to why she was spotted by Enzen-san in the first place. He must've seen her movements for some reason and decided to get involved. Not that she wasn't grateful, she was actually, but this was not what she wanted to do right now. She wanted to finish spending the afternoon with Kohaku and have fun, not worry about someone who might reveal her other life.

The trio sat down and Sango watched in curiosity as a laptop was closed and couldn't help herself. "Were you at work Enz...Miroku?"

"Ah, excuse me for not introducing that." With ease, Miroku grabbed his business card holder from his shirt pocket and produced a card to each sibling. "I am Akamatsu International Law Office's shushou chousadan."

"A lawyer? Wow!"

"Kohaku, please keep your voice down for other people."

"Actually Kohaku, I'm not a lawyer, but I am the head of the research department for the defense side. My boss is Jouryuu Sesshoumaru-san."

"So do you get to be in the court room when the trial goes on?" Kohaku continued. This was amazing - he never knew or met someone with such an important job before! High school and his little dorm area kept him closed up from a lot of people, but here he was talking to someone who dealt in the system of law.

Miroku smiled, relaxing with Sango's brother, even if said person herself seemed too tightly wound. He knew this was too sudden for her to be calm, since she was probably remembering her assault from earlier, but he was curious at her words.

0-

_"I'll explain everything later, but please don't mention where you and I first met!"_

0-

She didn't seem to have too much of a problem with it until her brother showed up. Miroku, making it his job to collect facts, knew Kohaku was the key to the whole thing. Well, if it was so important to keep a secret, he would play along for now. But since she promised him answers, he would have to wait until they could be alone. He mentally smiled. 'The first date would be a good one for conversation.' He mused.

"So," Miroku piped up, "let's get you two something to eat, hmm? Waiter!"

Sango resisted groaning and putting her head in her hands. This wasn't how the day was supposed to go! She didn't want to share her time or attention with Kohaku, or visa versa. Kohaku seemed rather taken with this person who came to her rescue. She assumed he was being nice, but the two made quite a bit of conversation, so much that she had to remind him at times that it was rude to ask so much of a person's life. Of course Enzen-san brushed her warning aside and countered it with questions of her life in the process. Sango tried to answer as vaguely as possible, but Kohaku kept giving more details than she wanted. As much as she loved her ototo, she wanted to smack a hand over his mouth right about now. Now this man knew where she went to college, what major, some of the classes she was enrolled in, that she was busy at work, and even some things she liked on the menu! Sango was glad when their food finally came and Kohaku was too busy eating to bother with anymore talk. With her stomach in knots, eating was a mild chore, but Sango reminded herself that she needed to get by the rest of the day without being affected.

Miroku watched the pair eat, having ordered something else for himself to not make the two feel like they were intruding on him despite the invite. He really only came for a nice spot to sit and play on his laptop - and browse the female section - not food. A drink and a small bowl of rice suited him. But now he had a feeling he was going to need the extra nourishment and although he wasn't that hungry, made himself eat it for whatever might occur later. Besides, this was his lucky day it seemed. If he played his cards right, he might be able to spend some more time with the annoyed enchantress next to him.

-.-.-.-

The afternoon never ended. Hours passed by like days and Sango found it so hard to finish out the rest of the day with her brother. All because that idiot was invited by Kohaku.

A fist clenched as Sango showed annoyance. She thanked the man for saving her, that was enough...but then he had to tag along for three more hours of talk and window-shopping! Sango drew the line at eating dinner together and made an excuse of wanting to get back home due to a headache. She ignored Kohaku's concerned looks and suggestions that she go to a hospital for medicine. She only wanted to go home and have a little peace and quiet.

They headed back to the subway and Sango wanted to accompany her brother to his dorm, but there were two issues with that. One; she was in the opposite direction and would use extra money to get back home, and two; he lived in an all boy's dorm. Girls weren't allowed as a general rule unless one had a really good excuse.

"Goodbye Kohaku, it was great meeting you."

"You too Miroku; thanks for spending the day with us."

Miroku grinned and stuffed hands into his slacks. "Believe me, it was my pleasure." He snuck a peek at Sango's distracted face taking in the empty subway port. Her severe expression seemed like she was almost willing the train to come along faster than it should. He mentally sighed, though mildly amused with her behavior.

Kohaku's train was first. Sango paid him mind when she could hear the screeching of the rail and put hands on his shoulders. "Listen up Kohaku. Hurry straight home and make sure you don't forget to read that manga I bought for you. After you have fun, don't forget your summer homework, ne? Hmm, something else I'm forgetting...oh yes. Don't forget to make yourself something for dinner. No junk food now!"

Kohaku brushed her off with a blush at being mildly lectured in front of his new friend. "Aneue! I got it, I got it. I know what to do; I'm not a baby anymore."

Sango smiled, hiding her hurt by looking away for a second. She inhaled for strength and drew him for a hug. "You may be a teenager, but you can still give your aneue a hug goodbye-for-now."

"Ah!"

Whether Kohaku was being so rowdy on purpose because he was embarrassed normally or because of Miroku, Sango wouldn't allow him to get away without a touch of tenderness. She would miss him greatly until the next break; however long it would be before that. She wanted to remember this moment on a happy note. "You take care of yourself; study hard. I'll try to clear my schedule again when we both have time off, okay? I promise that."

Kohaku gave in and finally returned the hold since his sister wasn't budging and he could tell in the way her voice softened that she meant every word. "Aa. I understand. Aneue mo, ne? Try not too work too hard okay?"

Sango pulled away and smiled, willing tears not to form. She wouldn't let him see her cry over yet another long absence that was a necessity for a few more years. Sango could only hope Kohaku could forgive her for putting them through this. "I promise I'll try to take it easy."

Wind came suddenly; the screech even louder and almost unbearable. The pair separated and Sango looked to her brother's person to make sure he had everything she bought him. Seeing nothing off, she put an arm around his shoulders in a quick squeeze before letting him go to the open doors. Sango waved until the doors shut and the car pulled away. She took a few steps forward to watch it leave, staring at the gaping hole. She heaved a sigh and finally let her vision blur.

Miroku had the distinct feeling he was all but forgotten ever since the pair embraced. Though he wasn't even two meters away, they enfolded in their own world that only a brother and sister could go to. Miroku was mildly envious at their good relationship and watched the interaction. Sango loved her little brother, that was a certainty.

He watched the car go and stared at the back of a high ponytail that suddenly bowed. An arm rose, a hand vanishing from his vision and Miroku could easily deduce what was going through the poor girl's head. He remained in split indecision for a second before walking next to her and looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

Sango gasped and turned to him, horrified that he saw her crying. Her tears were her own and definitely not for those that she didn't want to show to. She didn't really care about strangers, but this man wasn't one she wanted to acknowledge anymore.

"He seems like a very special person to you."

Sango ignored the soft voice, not wanting it to touch and affect her, and took a breath to control herself. She started walling herself to his presence, trying to go back to the way she was when she forgot all about him.

She turned and started for the board to find the wait time for her train back to Shinjuku. It always depressed her when these things happened, but she would rather have Kohaku get on the first train, being younger and less capable to defend himself in more ways than one. She didn't want to taint her only relative as much as possible and though crime wasn't a big problem in Japan, she didn't want to take the chance.

Miroku startled at the sudden turn and whipped around. He gazed at her back and was a little stunned at her sudden mood shift. How could she go from such a caring person into a cold stranger? He didn't know and wanted answers for her rudeness. In an instant, he caught up to her stride and grasped an arm.

Sango reacted mostly on instinct. Still too sad to see her brother leave again, she figured Enzen-san left after her actions. She whirled around, twisted her wrist to dislodge the grip, and made to move and grasp lapels when she recognized he still around. She stopped herself before her hands could grab, though they were almost touching, and inched back.

"Well, well, it seems someone doesn't like me."

Sango looked away and put some space between them. "Sorry. You scared me. I wouldn't advise trying that to people who know self-defense."

Miroku smiled and flexed his fingers against the minute pain inflicted when they were suddenly twisted off. "I'll take that into consideration for next time."

Sango continued her trek to the board, not stopped this time. She scanned the list, looking for her ride, when the same presence stopped next to her again. Showing an annoyed look, she twirled to face him, careful to put air as a wall. "Are you taking another subway?"

Miroku met her with a congenial look. "No my dear, in fact, I live in Harajuku."

"Then what're you still doing here?"

Miroku sniffed and placed a hand on his chest. "My dear Sango, you wound me! Here I was offering my time to wait with you until YOUR train came like you did with Kohaku and you spear cold words at me."

Sango saw right through his rant and wasn't amused. She looked to the board, trying to keep from losing her cool with this guy. She knew that showing too much emotion meant to lose control. "I'll be fine. As you just saw, I can take care of myself."

"Ah, but I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't stay with you. Besides, we can use the time to discuss our next free time for that date you promised."

She looked at him in shock. "DATE? I never - I wouldn't - I -"

0-

_"Your thanks is enough...and maybe a date later on?"_

_"Fine, I don't care. Just do as I say alright?"_

0-

She couldn't believe it...duped into going out with this guy. Hands went to her head as she growled. "I can't believe this! Of all the...I can't believe you would do that to me! What nerve! Right when I was trying to get the day back to normal too!"

She looked pretty when she was angry. Miroku shook himself and followed when she started ambling away. "You were the one pushing me. And you also drug me into some plot concerning your brother that was apparently false, I might add. I think I'm deserving of a few answers. Since you don't seem like the agreeing type, some time alone was called for."

Sango faced him and pointed an accusing finger in his face. "You've showed some abnormal interest in me since we met at my job! I thought you would've taken a hint that I didn't want to talk to you when I tried to brush you off the first time. I was trying to let you down nicely, but apparently you don't take a hint."

Miroku grinned, not fazed by her anger. He encouraged it actually; this was the first time she'd ever been so improper in front of him. "Nope. I'm kind of a dense lot." The false cheerfulness slipped as he met brown eyes. "But I can be pretty perceptive as well. I do know you're hiding yourself from your brother by your utter panic earlier over not wanting him to know where you and I met. Would you like me to surmise why?"

Sango's hands trembled. She took a step back, shivering in foreboding. "I - I don't want to talk about that...right now." She quickly looked at the small crowds around and was lucky no one seemed to care about their quarrel.

"Hmm. Well you seem quite angry with me about SOMETHING my dear Sango -"

"Don't call me by my first name!(2) And stop using pet names. I only gave you permission because of Kohaku. I never intended on calling you by your first name after he left anyway. I don't intend on getting that personal with you."

Miroku blinked, jaw dropping. "That...personal? Sa - Tsuyoi-san, I beg to differ. I think we were VERY personal a little while ago."

A fist clenched as she looked away. "You think something like that matters? Business is business. I don't keep something like THAT in my head any longer than it takes me to scrub myself clean." Brown eyes burned into brown eyes, narrowing in revulsion. "You invited yourself in on a day that was between me and Kohaku. It's been months since I saw him last and you all but ruined the day for me. I don't intend on sharing his attention unless I allow it. And you Enzen-san were not allowed into our world this afternoon."

"Don't you think you're being a little too protective of him? He's fifteen and in upper-secondary school after all. He's not a child anymore."

Her blood boiled. Sango stopped centimeters away, jabbed a finger at his chest, and stared him down. "Don't you DARE tell me what I can and can't do with MY brother! He's all I have in this world and if I mother him too much it's for his own good as his aneue!"

Miroku was taken aback at her rage and his mouth opened without words. He wanted to offer his apologies for assuming too much, but wasn't allowed the opportunity.

"You don't know anything about me so don't presume you do! Anything I do to keep Kohaku safe I do for a good reason and I'll kindly thank you to keep anymore opinions to yourself about my family."

Miroku found his voice when she turned for the board. He let her look and steam - hopefully to cool down - for a minute before daring to speak. "I truthfully apologize for my words." He murmured, bowing. "It was wrong of me to say anything without knowing the facts and I hope you can forgive me."

Sango wanted to ignore him. She wanted him to go away so she could go home and try to bury herself in homework and be miserable that school and work and life were keeping her separate from the one she loved most in this world. Why couldn't this idiot take a hint and take a hike?

But, try as she might, she could tell he was being sincere and couldn't let herself be a total bitch at that. "Y - you're forgiven." She mumbled, annoyed at her amount of compassion. Why did she have to be too nice for her own good?

"Now that that's settled...I suggest you start thinking of free time. I'll try to clear my schedule for an early night off so you and I can relax and have some time to ourselves."

Sango's gaped at him. "You CAN'T be serious!"

Miroku held up his hands, fingers all uncrossed. "Dead serious Tsuyoi-san. You DID promise me a date, although I admit I used your distraction to my advantage, but you did agree. I swear I'll behave myself the whole time and make sure you're comfortable. I AM a gentleman after all."

"So you keep saying." Sango speared him a bored look. After meeting his congenial look for the longest time, she finally gave up the struggle against something she could sense she wasn't going to sneak by with. "Fine. ONE date and one only. I don't intend on getting suckered into another one so easily."

"You make me sound like an animal Tsuyoi-san." Miroku moaned, putting another hand to his chest as if wounded. "I promise you I'll cater to your every need and do nothing inappropriate. If nothing else, you and I can have a talk about your outbursts earlier this afternoon."

That was the last thing Sango wanted to do was to give this man answers into her life. She didn't want them to become cozy in any way. She had too busy of a life as it was and didn't want anyone like him to be in it to clutter it up even more. "I'd rather we leave that where it was and not discuss it at all."

"Ah, but you said - oh, how did you put it? - 'I'll explain everything later on'. I think during our date is the perfect time."

A hand massaged her forehead. If she faked a headache then, she was DEFINITELY getting one now. "Why can't you just leave it alone? I thanked you for your help, I'm sorry to involve you in something that was my fault, and I personally don't want it brought back up again."

Miroku stared. He could tell he was stressing her, but knew whatever other business in her life was taxing her even more. She couldn't keep this inside since it was apparently such a burden. If she talked to someone, she would feel better, he just knew it. "I..." A hand scrubbed the back of his head, trying not to pull his hair from its ponytail. "I guess I don't have a real answer to give you. I just feel that you are holding in something bigger than you can suppress. If it makes you react so strongly like you have, it must be getting to be too much for you to keep contained. I don't know you, but I'd be happy if you'd share the part that's troubling you so much."

Bangs shadowed her eyes. His voice moved her enough to where she couldn't say no. She couldn't form the words and push them past her lips. It confused her so much why someone, a perfect stranger, would care so much to listen to the troubles of these past years. Sango kept her eyes closed from seeing his face as she weighed whether to give him what he asked or not. She didn't like to go back on a promise when she agreed to give her time or attention to something, but this could be worse than breaking her word. The rules set up in her life were there to keep something like this from occurring. Why was this happening now? Why didn't a guy take a hint when he was being brushed aside and just leave? Why did this person have to stay and be stubborn? Sango didn't care if someone like that left; she could deal with the solitude as long as she had the knowledge of hanging out with her brother again.

He wanted answers...she supposed she could give something to him. But she would only indulge him the one time and then wouldn't see him again.

Sango looked up and seriously met his eyes. "Alright. I'll tell you. I have a few more weeks until summer classes start and then it's useless to ask for my time. I have my job in the meantime, so I have to figure out my schedule for next week."

Miroku nodded. "I have to do the same, so let me get a hold of you when I have an answer."

"Uh...I don't have a number." She stuttered, watching as he padded himself. "I only have the hotel's number, but I won't use that for personal calls. If you want to get a hold of me, write me."

Both brows rose. "Write you? I must say, that is interesting. What happens if I find I have the next day off and you don't get my letter on time?"

Sango smirked. "The main researcher for an international defense lawyer's office? You won't have any time off soon."

Miroku grinned. "Touché. But you're right. I imagine you might have more time than me, so I agree to write you. I'm afraid I don't remember the hotel's address..."

"I've got my own p.o. box I use for my mail. I'll give it to you, but don't start sending me all this junk mail afterward."

"Never thought to." Digging into his computer bag produced the needed item and Miroku pulled out another business card. He flipped to the blank side and scribbled his address. "There, now you have mine. Let me know your off days and I'll find what I can use."

Sango took the pen and grabbed the card he gave her. She wrote the box address on it and handed everything over, tucking the other card into her wallet. Something told her this was not going to be a good experience, but she could already tell it was going to be a disaster without woman's intuition.

'Might as well try to ride it out until things can go back to normal I guess.'

0-

Miroku watched as the doors closed and the mysterious creature was swept away from him in a cylinder of steel and glass. The anonymity surrounding Tsuyoi Sango kept attracting him and he thought back to the encounter that brought them together again. Surely fate was kind as it was vague to him. But he figured quick thinking got him the date so luck was in no short supply.

Fingers held up the card, looking at her handwriting. He could see nothing in it and so put it in his shirt pocket for safekeeping. This would be interesting - he never wrote anyone about a time to go out. But he could see her wisdom in not using a phone for idle chitchat. He didn't want to get in trouble with anyone for it either.

This was going to be fascinating and Miroku couldn't wait for the day to come. Sango already proved it by her personality all of today and now she was gone; leaving him with a void she filled by just being near and showing so much with her eyes. With a hum over the promised time together, Miroku exited the subway to head home.

**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner, so if these are not 100 correct, please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page and a dictionary to learn from. This spot dedicated to new vocabulary only.**

**Translations: **Hai kore-This is for you/Here you go - Yarashii-Unpleasant/disgusting/repulsive/detestable - Shimatta-Damn it - Hontouni-Really/truly - Aneue mo-Older sister too

**Having done much research, this story will be highly Japanese orientated and probably confusing at points. Numbers at the end of sentences will describe the whole sentence, while numbers next to a word will describe only that. If any of these are wrong, please correct me.**

1:Hongo campus saw some latest trends, but Harajuku was sometimes called Tokyo's teenager town: Harajuku is a district southeast next to Shinjuku. It's well-known for shopping and the youth of Japan hangout.

2:Don't call me by my first name: Japanese are polite on a normal basis and calling someone by their first name, even without -san or -chan attached to the end, is pretty personal.


	12. 12

Sango never checked her mail that much. Normally she made a point to try it once a week or every other. She simply didn't get enough to warrant any extra trips to the post office. Having that time and one less worry in her life allowed for a more uncomplicated schedule to live by. She could get home faster, get more homework done on free nights, and have more time to use for eating before leaving for work. Suffice to say, this vague, future appointment put her off and the daily routine Sango was so comfortable with had to get altered until she had a confirmation and could stop checking.

There wasn't anything she could do but worry and ponder the whole time she was forced to wait. Each day she prayed there would be a letter in her mailbox to end her suffering, but there was nothing. Aside from the occasional electronic or clothing ad, Sango was left empty-handed.

She wrote him the same night she finished working with a list of her free days for two weeks. She knew two weeks was good enough, but they were far between. Not figuring something like this would come up, Sango tried to take as much work as possible for extra cash. There were summer semester books to get after all.

She was put off for four days until a plain, white letter broke the monotony of metal interior. Sango gulped as she slowly extracted it and stared at Enzen-san's name. It was finally here...but she was no less a wreck than before. The actual day would come now that she got affirmation.

Sango didn't open it until she was home. She didn't want to worry about any reaction which could occur if she was in public. She set her bag in its normal spot before heading for the roof for privacy. She was given a shock at seeing Kagome-chan and a pile of laundry, but couldn't turn around for someplace else now that she was spotted.

"Sango-chan, what're you doing up here?"

Sango smiled and headed over, folding the letter and sticking it in her jeans pocket. "I didn't know we needed to do laundry so soon. Didn't you do some just last week?" She sidestepped.

Kagome grinned over an arm in the process of pinning a sheet to the line. "You would be amazed at how much can accrue from even four people living here full time."

Sango looked to the basket. "Would you like some help?"

"Oh no, you came up here for something didn't you? I'll let you get back to it and get this finished."

Sango nodded, anxiety coming back in reminder of her fate. She headed to the opposite corner of the area and sat on the concrete. She slit the top open with a finger and picked out a single piece of paper. It wasn't heavily written on.

0-0

_To Tsuyoi-san,_

_How are you? I hope you are well. I have been rather busy at work, so sorry for the lack of earlier contact. I have found a half day of work which matches your time off. I wanted to make it far enough in advance when you could get this. Let's meet at seven at the same train station in Harajuku where we saw each other last time. I know of a place we can go to that's quiet and will be perfect._

_See you then, Miroku_

0-0

The date was circled on the bottom of the page. Sango resisted a groan. She only had two days to mentally get ready. 'Damn.' Sango noted with irony that he signed his first name only. Even after telling him she didn't want first names, he still put it down. But he didn't use hers when starting the letter, so maybe he would abide by her wish.

Heaving a sigh, knowing she had little time before she had to expose herself, Sango folded the paper and put it under her foot. The urge to move was far away and her head craned up to stare at the sky.

Kagome finished putting everything to dry and made to go in when she looked around for her friend. She was ready to suggest they head in together if Sango-chan was finished, but stopped. Brows furrowed, pondering what the change in expression was, Kagome walked away from the mass of flapping cotton. "Sango-chan?" There was no answer and Kagome called louder, finally getting a pair of listless eyes. Kagome kneeled in front of her friend, concern on her face. "What's wrong Sango-chan? You don't look so good."

"I don't feel so good." She echoed.

Kagome blinked, eventually looking down when a foot shifted. Taking the invite, Kagome grabbed the envelope before it could fly away and stared at the unknown address. "This is..." Sango merely sighed, positioning herself to pay more attention to her friend. Kagome opened it and read the short letter. Brows disappeared into her bangs, mouth gaping open a little at the insinuation. "Sango-chan...this is -"

"My first date in over half a decade."

Kagome stared at her friend, meeting unhappy brown and gave an encouraging smile. "Is that what the problem is? You're nervous about going out in so long? Are you concerned over your clothing and hair?"

If only it was that simple. Sango liked keeping some of the things in her life to herself, but one blunder and she ended up involving someone. It wasn't easy to let a person in and since starting college, Sango lost touch with a lot of upper-secondary school friends who were busy with a family or another college. Sango didn't think many she went to school with now that could be close friends would approve of her living and working in a glorified whore house, and didn't need to be looked down upon or talked about. She slowly resolved to only get along with people with a hectic four years looming and somewhere along the way, it became natural to do so. Joking and talking on the surface level of generic topics or petty issues with a person was safer than confiding something big. It became a fear which eventually ruled her on an unconscious level until she accepted that she couldn't let anyone in for worry of being cast out.

"Three days from now... Do you have any idea where you're going or what you'll be doing?"

Sango blinked and focused on her friend's questioning gaze. She gave a shrug and shake of her head. "He said he'd cater to my every whim and be a complete gentleman, but I don't have any idea with that. I suppose I should just wear what I always wear and hope he doesn't get too insulted that I didn't dress up."

"Oh Sango-chan, you shouldn't do that." Kagome waved a playful finger in her friend's face, handing the letter back. "You always want to impress someone the first time you go out with them. Don't worry, I'll help you get ready when the time comes. Just trust me and leave it to me."

Sango smiled at her friend's exuberance. "Arigatou Kagome-chan, but it's just a date. I don't even intend on taking it seriously to be honest with you. This man just wants to talk to me."

"You should always take a date seriously Sango-chan. Who knows? Maybe you'll be able to find something with this guy."

Sango mentally pictured Enzen-san and his flirting grins, the insistence to a simple outing, the odd interest, and their first encounter and tried not to roll her eyes. "I doubt it."

"You don't know what the future will bring so don't be so pessimistic. Now come on, why don't you come inside with me and have some tea with me. I don't have anything to do until the laundry dries and Kikyou-sama is downstairs working on her plants."

Sango obeyed and sat in her normal spot. The balcony doors were open to let in fresh air, and cool down the area due to warm temperatures, which allowed Sango stared at the sky again. She wanted to have Kagome-chan's enthusiasm and optimism, but she already knew enough of Enzen-san to not want to give him a chance. He wasn't her type anyway, she couldn't stand guys who had no pride and flirted with anything they saw. He did it from the first night they met and the last time they spent together. Even though he knew her on some level, he didn't stop. It was annoying.

At least a time was fixed and Sango could stop worrying. She now needed to pick and choose the things she wanted to make public. It wouldn't be a whole lot of anything and she intended on slipping by with as little as possible.

Despite what Enzen-san thought, Sango could handle this issue well enough on her own. Of course there were moments of weakness - usually after a day spent with Kohaku - and Enzen-san happened to be in her presence when she broke down. Sango always allowed herself a little bit of sadness whenever the train took her brother to Nihonbashi(1). Why shouldn't she? She never got to be around him enough after they initially went their separate ways and she harbored a lot of guilt over it, being the elder sibling. It was her responsibility to take care of her ototo and watch out for him. He had a kind and sweet personality and she smiled just being around him. Moments like those in the subways reminded her of what she could be having instead of what she was working toward.

-.-.-.-

One thing Sango didn't like was people who said they were going to do something and then never made good on it. It was a pet peeve of hers and she tried not to be a hypocrite. Sango was careful when she said she would do something because in her mind, that was as good as making a promise. She had been around a few people who wanted to hang out with her for something or another but ended up making excuses, or never showing up at all. The times Sango was left hanging, she was forced to play it cool and later nicely inquire why she was stood up. Those few times taught her well and from that she learned to think before she easily agreed to do something.

That was why she refused to not show up and stand up Enzen-san. She didn't want to be like those wishy-washy people, but this wasn't something she wanted to do either. A lot of her mind was screaming at her to back out, to write him with some lame excuse, but she kept reminding herself she all but gave her word. A promise was a promise and not something to take lightly.

A date. Sango hadn't been on one since the few in high school. She only had maybe a dozen that she could remember in her life, most of them when she was around Kohaku's age. College was not the time to start seeking someone to go out with...and then there was the hotel rule. It was not strictly enforced to the point of a person getting fired if they disobeyed, but it was definitely kept in mind. Unmarried women who worked in a soaplady hotel couldn't have connections to a boyfriend or fiancé if they wanted the money - the reaction by their men could be quite severe and Sango knew men would get jealous and angry at hearing their girlfriend working in such a place. For everyone's emotional - and sometimes physical - safety, dating was frowned upon.

Sango could see the logic in it. Dating in itself was no big deal, so long as two people went out to have fun and not be serious about it. But if there was attraction by either person, one date could lead to more and then a relationship. Knowing that, Sango hadn't dated anyone since moving in.

If she remembered rightly, her last date was with a classmate in her second year of upper-secondary school. She only went out once before her chichiue found out and urged her to put more time toward her studies. That was seven years ago. Sango almost groaned at her old-maid attitude, but found something even more pressing.

She had no clue what to WEAR to this thing!

It was good to be presentable if nothing else. There was no point in wearing shabby clothes and being rude. But Sango didn't want to fully dress up and be overdone if they were going to any cafe for something small. With the attitude she gave, she suppose it was too much to think he was considering any extravagance on this date. He said he would cater to her every need, so it was possible she shouldn't expect much. As far as she knew, they were going to sit down somewhere mildly private so she could spill her guts. Sango surmised with a person like Enzen-san, he would want to treat her to something else, so feared she would have to spend at least a few hours with him.

"I don't know about this Kagome-chan..." Sango's nose wrinkled as a hand picked at the skirt. It was too short for her tastes, but the woman insisted.

"Nonsense Sango-chan, it looks good on you. You have long legs so it just makes the skirt look shorter." Kagome circled her friend, surveying everything with a critical eye.

WHY did she ask her friend for help? Pants and a mildly nice top would've been good enough in Sango's mind, but her friend contended that she should put some oomph into it. Of course Sango didn't own any nice clothing that was modern, so Kagome-chan dug into her stash and started making her try things on. They were about the same size despite Sango being ten centimeters taller, though Kagome-chan had a slimmer waist and the skirt rode up a few centimeters past her comfort level. "I just don't know Kagome-chan. I feel really weird in this." A hand patted her rear, uncomfortable at feeling air caress that high. Though the skirt went almost to her knees, the lack of clothing wrapped around each leg made Sango feel like the skirt was bunched to her waist and she was giving the world a peep show.

"Trust me Sango-chan; you look very pretty in it. Highly lady-like."

Sango smirked. "That I find hard to believe."

The woman waved a finger at her. "Tsk, tsk, Sango-chan. You shouldn't be so negative about yourself. If you dismiss your good qualities, how can someone else like them?"

That wasn't the part that worried her. The fabric was tight enough so any stray wind wouldn't show the world the color of her underwear, but Sango knew Enzen-san was going to take this as a sign of interest. She didn't want to lead him on in the slightest and the earlier rudeness versus this style of dress was going to confuse him. She mentally noted that she would have to make herself clear in the beginning and before they parted so he wouldn't try anything funny.

She was eventually convinced to dress up extra special this one night and go back to normality in the morning, or at least as soon as she got home, but Sango was running out of time and so relented due to that. She refused makeup and just threw her hair into her routine high ponytail, settling for a solid button-up blouse. She didn't have pierced ears and didn't want a necklace, so ended up borrowing one of Kagome-chan's purses since the skirt had no pockets and headed for her shoes. Fortunately, she had a pair of black sandals that managed to do the trick, but still be comfortable and ignored the need for something a little fancier. This wasn't a date, it was a meeting.

Somewhere in her thoughts of what to say and how to phrase it, Sango recognized that she wasn't doing anything special. She was going to sit down someplace quiet with this guy and tell him a few things about her life. She had a little something to eat before getting dressed, so wasn't that hungry. She would order something to drink and maybe have a dessert to placate him, but that was it.

"Good luck Sango-chan! Ganbatte!"

Sango waved as she left the hotel, a grin pasted on her face. She hardly paid any attention to her smiling friend, too occupied with reassuring her skirt wasn't blowing up with as much air as she was feeling. After reaching the street, Sango checked her time with a wristwatch and decided to jog to the station. One hand idly gripped the side of her skirt for extra measure and piece of mind.

0-0

When meeting someone, it was only polite to get there on time or a little early. It didn't matter if the man hung around, but the woman must not be kept waiting. Miroku was ten minutes early for Sango's train as a result of that belief. He knew of her hesitance concerning tonight, but couldn't resist the urge to dress up somewhat. A pair of grey slacks, a white button-up shirt, and a dark blue vest made him stand out in the middle of the train station. It was too early for most businessmen to be around and most students were heading home. He almost blended in and was amused at that realization.

His attention focused ahead as a horn sounded in the distance. Crowds of teenagers snatched bags from their feet and slowly gravitated toward the edge to be assured a spot. Miroku was happy to wait next to the far wall and use it for support as the metal cars screeched to a stop for the masses. Everyone was allowed off first before positions were switched. Only after most people threaded through each other did Miroku leave his comfortable stance and start searching.

'Sheesh, I'll never find him with all these students!' Sango ambled around the youngsters, eyes exploring the area. She didn't know what he'd be wearing, but constant worry about tonight wouldn't allow her to forget his face this time. She was mildly thankful for that because it was the only thing she had to rely on. The train was filled and gone, leaving her with a smaller crowd waiting for the next district. A bored look attached itself to her face when she searched the exit areas fruitlessly.

Miroku was definitely startled and pleasantly surprised once the stunning creature managed to cross the last human barrier to his eyes and he saw what she had on. He didn't know what he expected, but definitely not a purse and skirt! They were so feminine and she seemed like the type not to care about those things. Her outfit was a simple brown skirt and mint green shirt, but she looked great. 'Of course,' He mused, 'she'd look good in just about anything that would show off legs like that!'

With a playful grin, figuring this was going to be more fun than anticipated, Miroku rounded the area before they could lock eyes and made to get behind her. The first thing he did was take a look at the back and appreciated whoever made the skirt she was wearing. After that, hands floated up and plopped down on her shoulders. "Boo!"

Sango jumped and screamed, whipping around with her borrowed purse as a weapon. "Pervert!"

"Hey!" Miroku skirted away from the whap on his arm. He met shocked eyes and grinned bashfully. "Sorry, perhaps that wasn't the best way to get your attention." So much for an original hello...

Sango blinked, then realized she just assaulted this man for the second - or was it third? - time since she kept meeting him outside work. She backed away a step and bowed. "Sorry! I didn't mean that one - you startled me!"

Miroku waved her off, forcing her to rise by raising her chin to meet him. "That was my fault - don't worry yourself over it."

Sango's eyes widened a little as she stared at his friendly look. Her skin tingled a little in awareness to his touch and she quickly backed away in discomfort from it. "W - well...I'm here. Sorry if you had to wait for me. Where is it that we're headed?"

Miroku's mouth twitched and he fought it, not wanting her to see she entertained him. He could read right through that move she made, also the fact that she was heading for the exit without him. He jogged to catch up with her and fell in stride. "I was thinking a little spot near here, if you don't mind the walk."

Brown eyes stared after her companion as he took the lead and was a step or two ahead of her. She tried probing his words and picked through her memory to see his reaction to her clothes, but figured she dissipated anything he could've seen with that little counterattack. Mentally berating herself, Sango got angry for thinking she was about to hit anyone - though it was way too forward of someone to just touch her like that - and even angrier at Enzen-san for instigating it and mortifying her.

"Tsuyoi-san?"

Sango snapped to attention, trying not to show she wasn't paying attention to her host. "Ah, hai?"

"We can cross the street now."

Brown eyes looked to the green light and noticed the outstretched hand in the side of her vision. She looked to him before sidestepping his offer to help pull her forward. "Ah, yes..." She hurried past, blending in with the mass of people also going to the other side.

This was as funny as it was irritating. Miroku didn't know which one he wanted to be really. Sango was so easy to read in her eyes and body language, but it was annoying that so many small advances were so readily turned down. This girl would be a hard one to crack and worm his way into her graces. Miroku suddenly felt an unconscious challenge as he found the minx waiting for him under the streetlight. Sure she wasn't presenting one, but Miroku considered himself a regular Casanova with the ladies and to know someone could resist him as if he weren't even there nudged his pride. Since she hadn't done anything yet - other than the subway and that was definitely his fault - from so much blatant flirting, Miroku wondered what he could get away with the rest of tonight. He said he would cater to her every need, but she certainly didn't seem to need that much from him at this present time. When he could see she was in need of his help, he would give it without thought, but until then he was going to think of himself a tad.

0-0

Ai Ai turned out to be the place.(2) Sango couldn't remember ever eating here, considering the place was underground. It was quaint despite its small size, but area just opened and was practically deserted. At least there was privacy. They were led to a spot and Sango took in the amount of general oriental food listed. It seemed to house a little bit from every eastern country, but that was fine because she had no clue what to have.

Since the crowd hadn't arrived yet, their order was taken and in no time, the food was set before them. Sango ordered rice noodles, not in the mood for more than ramen, but Miroku decided he wanted to have Thai food. Sango was content to eat slowly against the amount he ordered, anxiety also taking her appetite down. She assumed he wanted to talk the second they sat down, but perhaps the timing was off due to waitressing speed. She didn't know whether to be thankful that it was delayed or uneasy because she still had to face him.

Nothing was said as they ate, but Miroku covertly studied his company. There had to be something going on in her head because - whether she even knew she was doing it or not - there were stress lines at the corners of her eyes and her brows knit together a little as if in deep concentration. An easy guess was their fated conversation, but Miroku never wanted to assume anything that went on in the mind of a woman.

After their drinks were refilled for a while and the plates were taken away, Miroku propped his head up on the table and looked into brown eyes. "You don't have to be afraid you know."

Sango tried not to fiddle and looked away. She leaned back in the seat as if to put distance between them and stared at the wall across the way.

She had a nice side profile. Miroku almost felt like letting her stay the way she was so he could just gaze upon her until they decided to leave. But, business was business and there was something to be done. "Where would you like to start? Or should I just ask questions?"

It was better for her to say something because she didn't want him asking something she didn't want to answer. But Sango's mouth wouldn't form words in her stubbornness to keep from exposing herself. As shameful as working for the Gachi sisters could be, it was nothing compared to what she was feeling right now. How was it that job was less of a problem than words? Sango tried to find a comfortable place to start, but it was harder than she thought.

Taking the silence that option two was the one to go with; Miroku leaned back and tried to pick one of the many questions in his head. There were so many since he first met Sango, but he couldn't figure what to find out first. "I suppose we can start with the most obvious... What's your deal with not wanting to tell your brother about where you and I met?"

Was he that dense? Sango folded her hands over the table and stared at them. "Would you like to tell anyone in your family you were in kind of profession? It's good pay, but it's the worst thing a woman can do. I'm not proud of it, but I do what I must."

Thoughtfulness and seriousness donned his face as he stared at her downcast profile. "I can see that I suppose. But is it really necessary to take a job like that if you hate it so much? I saw you working in a restaurant - surely you can do something like that instead..."

Sango smirked, but it lacked humor. "Do you know how much it would cost to house and feed myself AND my brother, plus pay for books and tuition every semester if I kept taking part-time jobs like those?(3) I would be hungry and on the street, let alone forced to find some other means. Believe me, I thought it through a lot and was left with no other choice. But for the most part, I've grown accustomed to dealing with the hotel and what it stands for."

Miroku hummed. "You definitely sacrifice a lot for your brother, but why can't any of your other relatives help you out? Surely they wouldn't be so cruel to force you to do such a job."

The smirk disappeared and Sango's eyes turned sad. "Do you think I haven't tried that? My parents aren't in this world anymore and I don't know who my other relatives are. My father had friends of course, but I didn't want to rely on them for four years."

"Why go to college then? I can see why you forfeit so your brother and you have the basic needs, but if it's taxing you so much, perhaps it would be better to try something else?"

"I want to graduate college so I can take care of my brother without us worrying about money. If I take any old job, I don't know if it'll be enough to allow him to go to school. He's in upper secondary school after all and can go into the work force, but I forbid it. He needs to concentrate on his studies so he can get a good job and live well."

"You could always skip school and get married. Then you could live with your brother and have income." Sango gave him a dry look on that one, which surprised him a little. "Or not..."

"Any woman can take the easy way out and find a husband...and be confined to taking care of the home and raising the children for the rest of her days. I was raised to make the most of my life and I don't intend on wasting it by getting married so soon."(4)

"So why nursing school? That's pretty hard, but I admire the fact that you could get into Tokyo U."

"I want to help people and it not only makes good money, but there will never be a way I can get fired with the knowledge I possess. I could've done other things I like, but I don't want to be in trouble if there is a change in the economy."

"It sounds like you have things well planned out."

"Then, is that enough to satisfy you? I'm uncomfortable speaking about these things, but I owed you answers after all."

Miroku leaned forward and rested a hand over hers with a smile. "But Tsuyoi-san, there is still so much I want to know about you. How can you ask me to stop and leave it at that when you've only irked my curiosity further?"

Warning bells went off in her head as she extracted her hands. She met brown eyes and tried to read them, but the look was congenial and lacking any hidden motives from what she saw. "Why do you want to know so much about me? What's with this odd interest? I don't understand it...unless you have it because of that one night. I'm sorry, but it was business."

Miroku feigned a pained look as if she crushed him with words. "Hidoi Tsuyoi-san! I thought that night was very special to both of us and it still remains in my memory."

Sango snuck a quick look to the area. There were a few more people of course, but they didn't seem to be listening. "Will you stop with that tone? It's not clever at all and I'm not amused. I came here because of a promise and to me; I've fulfilled that well enough. I won't sit here and stand your advances that won't work and aren't necessary."

Miroku stood as Sango did. Okay, that had gone worse than he thought. He grasped an arm and met her eyes. "Please sit back down. After all, I haven't paid the bill yet. We can't have either of us looking like a couple of thieves, ne?"

Sango plopped down, not wanting that either. Arms crossed as she stared at the table, shadowing eyes with her bangs. The pleasantries were over with and she let hostility seep into her. His flirting was annoying and now that he turned it on, Sango felt no compulsions to be nice to him. This was supposed to be a talk and he just threw that out the door.

Miroku sighed and decided that he wasn't going to get his way with anything for now, so dropped the quirkiness. Arms crossed over the table as he stared at them, trying to keep from annoying her further. The night was still young after all. "You seem to have a hard life from what I can tell. You have no family at such a young age, separated from your brother, you keep secrets from him, you take on jobs you don't like, and you hate to let anyone share in your problems. Do you know how isolated that sounds? Are you afraid to open up to someone?"

Fists clenched. She tried not to let it get to her, but it was hard. The words cut into her with his sincere tone and, oddly enough, it sounded like he sympathized with her by those words. She couldn't ignore the change in demeanor, though it confused her and spun her head at how quickly his personality changed. It irritated her a little because she couldn't keep up or figure him out and deal with it.

"I don't...I don't know what you want from me." She murmured. Eyes squeezed shut as they burned. She felt defeated against his insistence and knew she couldn't escape someone like him. He would keep showing up in her life and wanting her time until she broke. She could only deny him and push him away so much, but it wouldn't make any difference to this guy. "I don't need your pity or your attention. I have a nice routine to live by and I don't like it being interrupted. This situation is only temporary, I don't intend on always living like this. I only have a few more years after all and then I'll be fine." She solemnly met his eyes, unable to shield her emotions inside. "Please...I'm asking you not to contact me anymore."

She stood up despite the last time she tried that and grabbed the purse. Before Miroku could pick up his brain from not only her words but her actions, a bunch of bills were tossed on the table before she hurried from the room. He quickly waved someone over and handed over his money, taking hers and sticking it in his shirt pocket. Since this was his idea, he wasn't about to let her pay her half and this would give the excuse to chase after her and make things right at least.

Miroku feared Sango would've taken off the second she left, but to his shock, she stood only a few meters from the entrance. She was staring at the night sky and keeping out of the evening traffic of young people, but still looking disgruntled. He stopped and stared, taking her in to best decide how to approach her. Delicacy was vital, but Miroku was getting tired of her keeping to herself and pushing him away. How could she go without so much human contact? Despite what her job was like at the hotel, she didn't take in other people's emotions when they tried to assist. It was like she was forcing everyone away and although he didn't understand her reasoning for that, he couldn't help but push her a little to make her see doing that was wrong.

Resolve came almost instantly and Miroku strode right up. He caught her attention within arm's reach, but stopped mere centimeters away. Sango faced him and backed away, but his hand shot out and grasped her hand. "Nope, not this time."

Sango looked to the street, a flush starting to form. "Let go of me. Haven't I embarrassed myself in front of you enough, or would you like more? What else do you want from me?"

Miroku stared at her face, listened to her words, and suddenly gained an epiphany on something. Her words were harsh, but her face spoke of fear and conflict. She used words to push him away, especially when it was extremely personal and something she didn't want to handle. It was a defense mechanism. It all made sense; every action and word she threw at him since he saw her at the gym. She didn't hate him, she was protecting herself.

Miroku couldn't take the pain and fright in her eyes, couldn't allow her to throw away anyone that wanted to lend a hand. He was suddenly reminded of sticking his nose into Inuyasha's business and saw those two as similar in a lot of ways. Perhaps that's why he was so interested in her; he was so used to picking on Inuyasha to get him to lighten up that he added this person to his attentions naturally.

Without thought, Miroku pulled her to him. She easily off-balanced and using her surprise to his advantage, wrapped his arms around her. Of course she resisted, but he held firm and wouldn't let her off. He ignored all protests and kept at it. "I'm sorry if I've offended you or caused you sorrow Tsuyoi-san. I don't pity you in the slightest, but I do respect your way of life and the choices you make. I must say that my 'odd interest' as you put it is purely selfish. I find you very attractive and lively and I only wanted to get to know you better. You are quite captivating and probably don't realize it. I hope you can forgive me for asking so many personal questions for my own benefit."

If her face wasn't a tomato, it would be a miracle. Sango couldn't move or say anything. It was like her limbs refused to move. This wasn't the first time she was ever held by a man, but it was the first time like this and with such innocent intentions. His hands weren't straying to anywhere inappropriate, even though they were in public, and he wasn't moving.(5) They were just standing there and an idle thought admitted how warm he was despite the cool night air...and that it didn't feel all that bad.

Sango snapped to with that thought, not wanting to take it in beyond admittance, and successfully pushed herself apart. She wanted to yell at the idiot for being so personal, but couldn't do more than stare at him in silent demand for an answer. His eyes were soft but oddly entrancing and she couldn't pull away. Her mind slowly melted all thought and she felt something odd inside as the seconds ticked by.

Miroku was encouraged by her response, or lack thereof, but knew she would easily snap once she came to. He decided enough was enough for now and to let her go home. He didn't know the time, but knew they had duties tomorrow and that staying out too late was a bad idea. His eyes closed with a small smile. "I think it's time you got home. Come on, I'll walk you to the subway."

Sango blinked when he turned for the direction, mouth gaping open. Her emotions were all mixed up and she didn't know what to feel right now and it was frustrating. But she silently accepted his offer by catching up and falling in step next to him.

There was nothing but general hum of night crowds all the way to the subway. Sango didn't know what to say and Miroku didn't want to ruin anything by opening his mouth. Behaving like that to someone who clearly didn't want him interfering in her life? He didn't know how to take that either and wasn't sure whether he should be embarrassed for his behavior. 'So much for catering to her every need you baka.' He scoffed, brows lowering in annoyance. 'I don't think I could've been any more selfish than I just was.'

The next train was checked and they had a relatively short wait. Sango was thankful because it was highly awkward and she didn't know how to break it, nor did she particularly want to. She stared at the open tunnel, mind thankfully blank but overly aware of the dreaded presence centimeters away. He was keeping hands and words to himself and she was relieved at that. Perhaps she could leave in silence as well and call it a night.

Just as a familiar screech of tracks sounded in the distance, Miroku turned to his left and started reaching for his pocket. "Tsuyoi-san..." He murmured.

Sango almost cringed, but told herself she was practically home free and turned to face him. Her mouth was open to ask what he wanted, but wasn't given the chance as she stared at a small wad of bills. "Th - this is..."

Miroku smiled gently. "Don't worry, this is yours. I asked you to come with me despite your oath so I am paying for tonight."

Sango refused to take her money back. "You can keep it. I don't feel right with you paying for me."

A raven brow rose, but his hand never retracted. The rumble of the train was drawing ever closer. "I insist. I don't mind this time for having put you through so much. Please think of it as part of my apology."

Even so, Sango didn't like people handing over money for something when she didn't care. Going to dinner with a guy she treated so badly didn't allow her to accept such generosity. She didn't think she was going to get it through to someone like this and didn't know how to put it properly so he'd understand. "Don't worry, you've apologized enough." She turned for the cars as it stopped for everyone, doors swishing open. "I have to go."

Miroku grabbed her hand again and stopped her. "You're a hard one to bend Tsuyoi-san, but I'm just as bad." He deposited the cash into her hand and curled fingers around it. He immediately stepped back before she could let go and keep from taking it. "Just because I said I was sorry doesn't mean you've accepted it. I have a feeling you won't either, so I'll do what I can in the meantime to show I mean it."

The thought was nice, but Sango didn't like the implications. She took her hand away, complete with money, and made to put it in the purse. Though she could fight with him or throw the money on the ground for anyone to take to hold up her convictions, it was a waste. "You don't need to do so. Don't fret yourself over it." Managing a quick nod, Sango turned and headed for the cars.

Miroku was forced to watch her board and leave him again. What a disaster the night turned out, but he shouldn't have expected less really. He did feel guilty for putting her through so much, but that hug came back to him. She felt nice and it plus their conversation were on his mind the entire walk back to his apartment.

-

**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner, so if these are not 100 correct, please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page and a dictionary to learn from. This spot dedicated to new vocabulary only.**

**Translations: **Chichiue- - Ganbatte- - Hidoi- - Baka- -

--

**Having done much research, this story will be highly Japanese orientated and probably confusing at points. Numbers at the end of sentences will describe the whole sentence, while numbers next to a word will describe only that. If any of these are wrong, please correct me.**

1:Nihonbashi: District in Tokyo, about straight east from Shinjuku. North of Ginza district.

2:Ai Ai turned out to be the place: Restaurant in Harajuku that serves Okinawa, Thai and other Asian dishes along with assorted cocktails.

3:Do you know how much it would cost to house and feed myself AND my brother, plus pay for books and tuition every semester if I kept taking part-time jobs like those: Japan is expensive in a lot of things, housing especially.

4:I was raised to make the most of my life and I don't intend on wasting it by getting married so soon.: Women in Japan are revolting from the traditional 'get married, start a family' shtick. Most women now get married in their late 20s to early 30s, possibly later.

5:His hands weren't straying to anywhere inappropriate, even though they were in public, and he wasn't moving.: Japanese don't show much of any affection in public, so what Miroku is doing is pretty forward on more than one level.


End file.
